“Elderlies with shubat“: why Kazakhstan is replacing Talgo trains

Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstan will stop producing Talgo passenger cars and replace them with new Stadler trains from Spain, Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev announced at a government briefing.

According to the minister, Talgo was originally chosen for its speed, making it possible to travel between Astana and Almaty in 11 hours. However, due to the shared use of railway lines with freight trains and the current condition of the tracks, the journey now takes 18–21 hours.

“It’s like driving a Mercedes on bad roads. You just can’t do that,” Sauranbayev said.

He also highlighted another reason: passenger preferences.

“In Kazakhstan we have our own specifics. For example, grandmothers often bring meat, kazy, shubat — things you can’t take on a plane. These trains are like ‘food trains’. They bring gifts for grandchildren, transport things back and forth. For us, a train is part of a social program. People ask for wider carriages with storage space. Talgo doesn’t provide that; it’s more for business-class travel,” the minister explained.

The new Stadler cars will feature standard-sized compartments, larger than Talgo’s design.

“I think people will like them. The first batch will arrive by the end of the year, and I believe passengers will be happy,” Sauranbayev noted.

Travel time between Astana and Almaty on the Stadler trains will remain about the same — around 18 hours.

Kazakhstan currently operates around 700 Talgo cars, the oldest being 19 years old, while their service life is estimated at 40 years. Authorities plan to purchase 557 new Stadler units.

In May it was reported that Kazakhstan would phase out Talgo trains. No new Talgo cars will be acquired, while the existing fleet will continue operating until the end of its service life.