Tengrinews.kz — Mayor of Astana Zhenis Kassymbek said that the light rail transit system in the capital may be launched in the coming weeks.
Answering journalists’ questions, Kassymbek clarified that the exact date of the official opening has not yet been determined. At the same time, a small press tour is planned before the launch.
“We hope that literally 2–3 weeks — and we will be able to launch it,” the mayor said.
According to Kassymbek, all LRT tests have been successfully completed.
“Today all 18 trains are operating. The interval is short — 3.5 minutes. The speed is high, twice as fast as any other mode of transport,” he noted.
The mayor also said that the main stations are already ready. Among them are “Abu Dhabi Plaza,” “Botanical Garden,” “Astana Arena,” Mega, “Airport” and the new railway station.
Work on landscaping the areas adjacent to the stations is ongoing. According to Kassymbek, by the end of summer it is planned to fully improve the territories along the line — complete asphalt paving and ensure convenient pedestrian access to the stations.
The mayor also commented on residents’ concerns about operating the LRT in winter and remarks about infrastructure. According to him, last winter snow was cleared from the line without specialized equipment, while the system operated normally. Now such equipment is being delivered, and it will be fully ready for the next winter season.
Responding to remarks about water accumulation and cracked paint in some areas, Kassymbek noted that the drainage system is only now being fully connected, and it was decided to complete painting of some elements during the warm season.
Context
Test operation of the LRT in Astana began on September 29, 2025. At that time, it was reported that testing would last at least six months. Already in March 2026, Zhenis Kassymbek said that passenger launch was expected in spring, and CTS specified that trains would run at a speed of 40–50 kilometers per hour, the journey from “Nurly Zhol” station to the airport would take about 40 minutes, and the projected interval would be from 5 to 10 minutes depending on the section.
Earlier it was reported that in March the akimat submitted a draft tariff for public discussion. The document proposed setting the fare at 200 tenge, and for certain preferential categories — 0 tenge using an electronic transport card. At that time, the tariff had not yet been finally approved.
LRT in Astana promised to launch this spring: what’s going on now
