Rail

JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at modernising Kazakhstan’s railway sector. The memorandum, signed by Chairman of the Board of KTZ Nurlan Sauranbayev and EBRD Vice President Matteo Patrone, envisages improving the infrastructure of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route and introducing advanced environmental, social and corporate responsibility (ESG) standards.

The Rail Baltica joint venture RB Rail AS has signed two new agreements under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme, which will allocate EUR 1.394 billion for the implementation of the project. Of this amount, EUR 1.163 billion is provided by the CEF, and EUR 231 million is co-financing from the Baltic States. This is the largest financing in the current period, aimed at accelerating the construction of key sections of the Rail Baltica mainline.

This service is designed to address demand for increased cargo capacity between these regions and provides two round trips per week.

Rail Baltic Estonia has announced a tender for the construction of the 57 million euro Ülemiste Linda International Passenger Terminal. Designed by world-renowned architectural studio Zaha Hadid Architects, the project will be one of the most modern and sustainable transport hubs in the region. The terminal will connect international rail routes with local transport networks, including trams and buses, and will play a key role in the Rail Baltica project, which will connect Estonia and the Baltic States with the rest of Europe.

Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) presented the new Cityjet double-decker electric train for suburban and regional services in St. Pölten. The train was developed by Stadler on the KISS platform and was presented at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin in September 2024.

From 2025, French rail giant SNCF will split its freight arm SNCF Fret into two companies as part of a restructuring agreed with the European Commission. The new companies — rail operator Hexafret and service company Technis — will continue to operate under the SNCF Rail Logistics Europe division, which will avoid the return of €5.3 billion, classified by the regulator as illegal state aid.

During Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to France, JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and the French company ALSTOM Transport SA signed an agreement on the production of a new freight electric locomotive in Kazakhstan. The document provides for the production of the KZ6A model with asynchronous traction motors at the Astana plant, which will replace the outdated VL-80 locomotives.

DB Cargo continues to successfully deliver chemical products for BASF, transporting between the company’s plants in Ludwigshafen and Schwarzheide. Two years ago, DB Cargo developed an innovative shuttle concept specifically for BASF, which combines flexibility and reliability. The contract was recently extended for another two years, underlining the success and demand for this logistics scheme.

Heidelberg Materials France has been working hard for many years to implement sustainable transport solutions, supporting its decarbonization goals by using river and rail transport. Lineas is an important partner, providing reliable and high-quality rail transport that meets the requirements of Heidelberg Materials France, especially for deliveries to the Paris Basin.

JSC Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty (LKZ) has successfully delivered 451 freight, 83 passenger and 19 shunting locomotives to KTZ-Freight Transportation LLC and plans to deliver another 128 freight and 11 passenger locomotives by 2027. Locomotives of the TE33A, TE33AS, TEP33A and TEM11 series are manufactured under supply and maintenance agreements, and are also repaired jointly with Kamkor Locomotive LLC at eight sites across Kazakhstan.