Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has responded to passenger complaints about the condition of railway carriages and has ordered the delivery of new Stadler carriages in the shortest possible time, while complying with safety requirements.
WHAT INSTRUCTIONS THE PRIME MINISTER GAVE
Olzhas Bektenov addressed the situation regarding the delivery of Stadler carriages at a Government meeting.
"Complaints from passengers about the condition of the carriages continue to come in. Further delays in the delivery of Stadler carriages are unacceptable. The Ministry of Industry, together with the companies 'Kazakhstan Temir Zholy' and Stadler, must deliver passenger carriages in the shortest possible time, observing all technical safety requirements," the Prime Minister emphasised.
The Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Industry, together with JSC "NC "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" (KTZ) and the company Stadler, to ensure the delivery of passenger carriages in the shortest possible time while complying with all technical safety requirements.
WHAT DEADLINES THE GOVERNMENT SET
According to the press service of the Government of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov ordered that 215 new locomotives and about 1.5 thousand freight and passenger carriages be put onto the railway network by the end of this year.
In addition, a five-year programme for the purchase of 13 thousand freight and 500 passenger carriages of domestic production must be approved by 1 September.
WHY THE ISSUE OF CARRIAGE SUPPLIES REMAINS RELEVANT
The topic of renewing the passenger carriage fleet remains relevant amid complaints from passengers about the condition of the current carriages.
The Prime Minister's instruction is linked to the need to accelerate the renewal of rolling stock while simultaneously complying with technical safety requirements.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
Initially, the launch of the carriages was planned for April 2026, but during the trial operation, the operator recorded a number of technical faults.
The situation with the delay and the identified issues confirms the previously voiced risks regarding technical compatibility. In December 2025, the FBRC pointed out possible discrepancies between the carriage specifications and platform infrastructure, including a potentially insufficient gap for the safe boarding of passengers.
In March 2026, Transport Minister Nurlan Sauranbayev confirmed that the delivery of 51 carriages had been delayed. According to him, the reason was differences in technical standards between Switzerland and Kazakhstan, as well as additional questions from KTZ regarding the carriages' characteristics.
Earlier, the Managing Director for Economics and Finance of JSC "NWF "Samruk-Kazyna", Aidar Ryskulov, reported that the first batch of carriages was not accepted due to issues with the braking system, and resumption of deliveries was tentatively expected in the second quarter of 2026.
Later, LLP "Stadler Kazakhstan" denied this statement, indicating that the identified faults had been rectified and the carriages were ready for acceptance by the customer.