Kazakhstan Expands Freight Wagon Production: Ambitious Goals for 2024 and Beyond

By the end of 2024, Kazakhstan’s freight wagon production will quadruple to reach 2,000 units, announced Minister of Industry and Construction Kanat Sharlapaev at a government meeting. This was reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Passenger wagon production will increase to 122 units, and locomotive production will reach 130 units per year.

Indian Railways Project to Detect Faults and Defects on Rail Tracks for Safety

This year, TexolTrans launched a project to produce freight wagons and tanks with an annual capacity of 6,000 units. A spring manufacturing plant in the Kostanay region will begin operations at the end of 2024, and in 2025, Vostokmashzavod will complete a workshop modernization to replace imports of medium and large wagon castings.

Freight Wagon Production in Kazakhstan: Ambitious Plans and Development

The Semipalatinsk Engineering Plant is also developing a project to produce open wagons with an annual capacity of 600 units. Additionally, the Railcast Systems bandage complex project is being implemented, with its launch planned for 2025-2026. These initiatives aim to enhance Kazakhstan’s industrial capacity and reduce dependency on imports.

New Capacities and Goals for Freight Wagon Production in Kazakhstan

As freight wagon production and state support grow, Kazakhstan’s output has shown significant progress. According to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics, freight wagon production increased over sixfold in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year.

By 2030, ZIKSTO and Stadler Kazakhstan plan to manufacture more than 800 passenger wagons to replace aging rolling stock. These new wagons are expected to replace units reaching the end of their operational life by then.

Sharlapaev highlighted the critical issue of passenger wagon supply. The Stadler Kazakhstan plant in Astana will begin large-scale passenger wagon production in 2025 to deliver over 500 new units by 2030. In Petropavlovsk, utilizing the existing ZIKSTO plant’s capacity, around 300 passenger wagons will be manufactured.

Currently, Kazakhstan’s national railway operator has a fleet of 2,157 passenger wagons, including 1,317 standard wagons, 732 Talgo wagons, and 108 diesel-electric wagons. However, a significant part of this fleet has been in service for over 20 years, underscoring the urgent need for modernization.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Developing the Port of Kuryk: AD Ports Group’s Strategic Investment in Kazakhstan