Honorary railway workers and industry veterans Kaltai Sambetov, Marat Khamzin, and Duan Umarov visited the construction site of the Kazybek Bek – Zhetigen bypass railway line, implemented as part of the instructions of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on the development of the country's transport infrastructure. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
During the working trip, the veterans traveled along the line under construction by railcar, familiarized themselves with the progress of construction, and assessed the pace of implementation of one of the largest infrastructure projects in the railway industry.
The length of the new line is 75 kilometers. The project includes the reconstruction of Kazybek Bek and Zhetigen stations, and the construction of new stations Sorbulak, Moyynkum, and Zhanearna. The implementation of the project will relieve the Almaty railway junction, increase the network capacity, and organize the movement of more than 25 pairs of trains per day.
Special attention is paid to the introduction of modern signaling, centralization, and blocking systems, as well as the electrification of the section. It is planned to install over 2,000 contact network supports and electrify more than 100 kilometers of the deployed length of the contact network. Domestic manufacturers of materials and equipment are actively involved in the project.
Based on the inspection results, the veterans assessed the quality of the work performed and the strategic importance of the project for the country's transport system.
According to honorary railway worker Marat Khamzin, the decision to build and electrify the bypass line is technologically sound and meets the long-term objectives of railway transport development.
"The new line will allow transit cargo flows to be diverted outside Almaty, significantly relieving the country's largest city. This will increase the efficiency of the transportation process and create additional opportunities for the growth of international transit through Kazakhstan. The electrification of the section is a fundamentally important decision. It will ensure the unhindered movement of trains without changing the type of traction, increase the line's capacity and carrying capacity, reduce operating costs, and improve environmental performance. The speed of cargo movement and the competitiveness of international transport routes passing through Kazakhstan will increase," Marat Khamzin noted.
According to him, the quality of the construction work meets high industry requirements, and the implementation of the project creates a reliable foundation for the further development of the country's transport and logistics potential.
"Kazakhstannyn Enbek Eri" Kaltai Sambetov emphasized that the construction of the bypass line is one of the key infrastructure projects of recent years.
"Today, the railway remains the backbone of Kazakhstan's freight transport system. Therefore, the development of mainline infrastructure directly affects the country's economic growth. The bypass line will significantly increase the efficiency of rolling stock use, increase transportation volumes, and ensure the sustainable development of international transport corridors. It is especially important that the project is implemented using modern technologies and provides for the electrification of the section. We saw a high level of organization of work and are confident that the builders will successfully complete the project on time," Kaltai Sambetov noted.
He also emphasized the need for further expansion of the network of electrified railways, which will increase transportation efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Chairman of the Council of Railway Veterans of the Almaty Region Duan Umarov noted significant progress achieved since the start of the project.
"In 2023, industry veterans took part in the ceremony of the start of construction of the line. Today we saw a practically formed modern railway infrastructure. The volume of work performed, the quality of construction, and the integrated approach to project implementation are impressive. It is important that the issues of training personnel for the operation of the electrified section are being addressed simultaneously. Industry veterans are ready to continue supporting young specialists and share accumulated experience in implementing strategically important projects," Duan Umarov emphasized.
According to the trip participants, the commissioning of the Kazybek Bek – Zhetigen bypass line will be an important stage in the modernization of Kazakhstan's railway infrastructure and will increase the efficiency of transportation on one of the busiest sections of the network.