After several delays, the new Stadler carriages are finally entering passenger service in Kazakhstan. On 5 November 2026, ticket sales opened for the Astana — Almaty and Astana — Semey trains. The first trains will depart from the capital on 11 and 13 November respectively.
WHICH TRAINS ARE ENTERING SERVICE
According to JSC “Passenger Transportation”, the new carriages have been included in trains No. 3/4 “Nurly Zhol – Almaty-2” and No. 153/154 “Nurly Zhol – Semey”.
The train to Almaty will run daily. It departs Astana from Nurly Zhol station at 13:10 and arrives at Almaty-2 station at 08:30 the following day. In the opposite direction, departure is scheduled for 12:12, arrival at 07:03.
The train to Semey will run on odd-numbered days. Departure from Astana is at 16:40, arrival at 06:10 the following day. From Semey the train departs at 15:00 and arrives at Nurly Zhol station at 05:05.
Tickets are available on the official website, as well as at railway station ticket offices.
WHAT THE NEW CARRIAGES ARE EQUIPPED WITH
The carriages are produced at the Stadler Kazakhstan plant, taking into account the country's climatic characteristics. Compartment carriages are designed for 40 passengers, open-plan carriages for 56.
Inside, there are climate control systems, individual lighting, 220 V sockets, USB and USB-C ports, video surveillance and special facilities for passengers with reduced mobility. The trains also include buffet carriages with hot meals, drinks and light snacks.
According to the carrier, more than 100 Stadler carriages have been accepted to date. The contract provides for the phased delivery of 557 passenger carriages by 2030, with subsequent servicing.
WHY THE LAUNCH WAS DELAYED FOR SO LONG
Stadler passenger carriages were supposed to enter service much earlier. Back in December 2025, the FBRK pointed to possible discrepancies between the parameters of the carriages and the platform infrastructure, including a potentially insufficient gap for safe boarding of passengers.
In March 2026, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev confirmed the delay in the delivery of 51 carriages. Among the reasons, he cited differences between the technical standards of Switzerland and Kazakhstan, as well as additional questions from KTZ regarding the characteristics of the rolling stock. In April, the launch was postponed due to technical remarks identified during testing.
In June, the Managing Director for Economics and Finance of the Samruk-Kazyna fund, Aidar Ryskulov, reported remarks concerning the braking system of the carriages. At “Stadler Kazakhstan”, this statement was disputed, with the company stating that the identified defects had been rectified before February and that the carriages were ready for acceptance.
The first carriages of Kazakh assembly were accepted by the customer in early August 2026, but this did not yet mean the start of passenger services. In September, Deputy Transport Minister Zhanibek Taizhanov reported that KTZ was continuing additional testing of the braking system and other technical parameters. At that time, the preliminary launch date was given as late October — early November.
