Hundreds of railway workers in key regions of the country are recording video messages complaining about the actions of security forces. Employees of the transport company in Uralsk, Atyrau, Aktobe and Karaganda claim they risk losing their jobs due to years of pressure on their employer — ZhelDorTrans-Aktobe LLP.
The company provides staff transport to the Karachaganak field, one of the largest industrial facilities in Western Kazakhstan, operated by the international consortium Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. (KPO).
As reported by Hronika.kz, the Karachaganak field is located in remote areas with no settlements. The only link to civilisation is the railway. Shift changes are delivered using special trains, as irregular transport is not profitable for the national carrier «Kazakhstan Temir Zholy» (KTZ).
Comfort requirements are high due to the climate conditions and the involvement of foreign investors. Most of the oil is exported via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) pipeline to the port of «Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka».
It is noted that the export of Kazakh oil faces threats — from Ukrainian drones to decisions by Russian officials. The increase in VAT to 16% from 2026 will not offset the losses. Now, paralysis of worker transport could be added to the list of problems.
At the centre of the conflict are two companies with different capabilities. ZhelDorTrans-Aktobe LLP with 340 employees owns rolling stock, modern locomotives and qualified railway workers. TRANSTURS Kazakhstan LLP specialises in tourism and has neither locomotives, nor wagons, nor drivers.
The standoff began after KPO signed a direct five-year contract worth 3 billion tenge directly with ZhelDorTrans-Aktobe LLP. Previously, TRANSTURS Kazakhstan LLP acted as an intermediary and received $350,000 from ZhelDorTrans-Aktobe LLP. The money was handed over in cash against a receipt.
It is reported that the founder of TRANSTURS Kazakhstan LLP, Karlygash Aubakirova (Aldabergenova), is allegedly using connections in the prosecutor's office to put pressure on competitors. A 2021 road accident at a railway crossing, in which a woman died, is being used as leverage. Significantly, the relatives of the deceased and representatives of TRANSTURS Kazakhstan LLP share the same law firm.
An investigation into this accident has been launched for the fourth time, having previously been dropped due to the absence of a criminal element. Prosecutors have obtained an expert opinion against ZhelDorTrans-Aktobe LLP. If the prosecutor's office insists on charges, it will set a dangerous precedent for the entire transport industry.
Disruption of transport to the field threatens to halt oil supplies — leading to budget losses of millions of dollars daily.
It is unclear how TRANSTURS Kazakhstan LLP plans to fulfil the contract. KPO rejected the wagons from the partner company Turan Express LLP as obsolete. Apparently, Ms Aubakirova (Aldabergenova) is banking on seizing ZhelDorTrans-Aktobe LLP's rolling stock through a criminal case.
According to a source, 340 employees are recording appeals to the President asking him to stop the persecution of their employer. They do not want to work with a tourism company that is trying to bankrupt their firm.
The situation highlights a contradiction between the declared protection of business and the real practices of law enforcement. A conflict of interest involving one company threatens the stability of a major industrial project and the welfare of hundreds of families.
By the end of 2025, ZhelDorTrans-Aktobe LLP could be bankrupted, leading to a halt in oil supplies from Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V. due to the inability to transport personnel to their workplaces. As a result, Kazakhstan's budget would suffer multi-million dollar daily losses.