In Almaty, the seizure of land for the construction of the light rail transit (LRT) line is being initiated — 270 plots in four districts of the city have been identified for the project. This marks the transition of the project into the practical stage after a long period of discussion.
WHICH PLOTS ARE BEING SEIZED AND FROM WHOM
The corresponding resolution of the Akimat dated 26 March 2026 was published in the city newspaper «Vecherny Almaty». According to the document, for the construction of the LRT, 270 land plots will be seized in four districts of Almaty — Alatau, Zhetysu, Almaly, and Auezov.
The list of owners whose lands are subject to seizure includes both private and state entities. Among them are the companies K3 Group Invest, «RTS Deco», Terra Invest Group, as well as the municipal state enterprise «Almaty Parking».
The compulsory purchase of the land plots must be completed by 31 December 2028. After that, all plots will be transferred to the Almaty Road Infrastructure Development Department for further construction.
WHERE THE LRT LINE WILL PASS
According to the approved route, the first light rail line will run from the Almaty-2 railway station. From there, it will proceed via Abylai Khan Avenue, Tole Bi and Momyshuly Streets to the depot located at Sokpakbaev Street, 72.
Thus, the line will cover the central and western parts of the city, connecting key transport hubs.
WHY THE PROJECT WAS DELAYED
The topic of LRT in Almaty was first raised by Viktor Khrapunov in 2003, with active discussion and development of the project beginning in the 2010s.
Initially, it was planned to build a line approximately 22 km long with 24 stations, connecting the airport with the city centre. The cost of the project was estimated at $1.5–2 billion.
During the period 2017–2019, the project was actively promoted, including with the participation of Chinese companies. However, in 2019, its implementation was frozen. The reasons cited were the high cost, doubts about profitability, and criticism from the public.
Later, the project was revived.
In 2024, the development of the feasibility study for the first LRT line in Almaty was valued at 344 million tenge, with the corresponding tender announced by the city’s Department of Urban Mobility.