Kazakhstan’s freight transportation sector is undergoing a planned upgrade to its locomotive fleet as part of an investment program.
In the first half of 2023, the country acquired 86 modern locomotives, including 55 diesel locomotives of the ТЭ33АС series, 14 2ТЭ25КМ series diesel locomotives, and 17 electric locomotives of the KZ8А series. Another 52 locomotives are expected to join the fleet by the end of the year, with a total of 218 locomotives planned for acquisition by 2029. This includes 75 mainline diesel locomotives (ТЭ33АС series), 130 electric locomotives (KZ8А series), and 13 shunting diesel locomotives (ТЭМ11А series).
The modern locomotives, assembled at plants in Astana, represent reliable technology aimed at boosting the capacity for transporting heavy freight trains. Currently, these locomotives are successfully operating on various routes, carrying trains weighing over 6,000 tons on segments such as Kandyagash-Tobol, Tobol-Astana, Astana-Pavlodar, and others. As of October 1, 2023, the national freight carrier’s locomotive fleet comprises over 1,600 locomotives, providing ample capacity to meet the planned cargo volume.
Image source: https://rail-news.kz/ru/news/15898-krupneisii-zakup-lokomotivov-soversil-nacionalnyx-perevozcik-kazaxstana-v-2023-godu.html