JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy signed a mandate agreement to attract $1.6 billion in financing over a 10-year period for the renewal of its locomotive fleet. The document was signed during the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan to the United States between KTZ and Citibank, which is coordinating the transaction. The U.S. Export-Import Bank (US EXIM) is serving as the project guarantee.
According to the company’s press service, Wabtec locomotives will be delivered until 2038, enabling the implementation of a long-term rail transport modernization program. The equipment will be manufactured in Kazakhstan at the JSC Lokomotiv Kurastyru Zauyty plant in Astana, a subsidiary of Wabtec Transportation Engines Holding B.V.
The program is aimed at the comprehensive renewal of KTZ’s traction rolling stock. It will improve the energy efficiency of transportation, reduce operating costs, and ensure reliable delivery of growing freight traffic on the country’s key routes.