The first passenger carriages from the Swiss company Stadler, intended for JSC "NC "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" (KTZ), have not been accepted after issues were identified with the braking system. The manufacturer has acknowledged the faults and is fixing them at its own expense.
WHAT HAPPENED
According to Managing Director for Economics and Finance of JSC "NWF "Samruk-Kazyna" Aidar Ryskulov, in 2025, discrepancies were found during the delivery of the first batch of carriages.
As Aidar Ryskulov clarified, changes need to be made to the composition of the braking system for the carriages. As a result, the delivered batch was not accepted.
WHEN DELIVERIES MIGHT RESUME
Deliveries could potentially resume in the second quarter of this year. However, the timeline depends on how quickly the company resolves the design issues raised.
According to him, the company Stadler has acknowledged the identified faults. The manufacturer is currently taking steps to rectify them at its own expense.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Initially, the launch of the carriages was planned for April 2026, but during the testing phase, the operator recorded a number of technical faults.
The situation with the delay and the identified issues confirms the previously stated risks of technical compatibility. In December 2025, the FBRC highlighted possible discrepancies between the parameters of the carriages and the platform infrastructure, including a potentially insufficient gap for safe passenger boarding.
Earlier, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev confirmed that the delivery of 51 carriages had been delayed. According to him, the cause was differences in technical standards between Switzerland and Kazakhstan, as well as additional questions raised by JSC "NC "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" (KTZ) regarding the carriages' specifications.
The minister also called for the situation not to be politicised, noting that it concerned routine technical matters.