Astana LRT officially renamed: what has changed at the stations

Tengrinews.kz — The capital’s light rail transit system, Astana LRT, has been officially renamed. Astana Mayor Zhenis Kassymbek signed the relevant resolution. A Tengrinews.kz correspondent visited the nearest station to see the changes.

What is the LRT called now?

The other day, the mayor of Astana signed a resolution renaming Astana LRT. The decision was based on the conclusion of the onomastic commission, which proposed the new name — Tarlan Astana. Earlier, deputies of the capital’s maslikhat had voted in favor of this name.

“To assign the name ‘Tarlan Astana’ to the light rail transit system of the city of Astana. The head of the Department for Language Development and Archives of the city of Astana shall take the necessary measures arising from this resolution,” the mayor’s resolution says.

City Transportation Systems (CTS), the LRT operator, also confirmed the renaming.

What is happening at the stations

According to CTS, the new name has already appeared on displays located at LRT stations. A Tengrinews.kz correspondent saw this firsthand.

Photo: Tengrinews.kz/ Nurlan Alzhabaev

The name is also expected to be changed on route maps.

Photo: Tengrinews.kz/ Nurlan Alzhabaev

At the same time, signs near the stations still show the old name — Astana LRT. It is likely that the entire infrastructure will be updated gradually.

Photo: Tengrinews.kz/ Nurlan Alzhabaev

Earlier, Astana maslikhat deputy Bauyrzhan Kassymbergebayev said that the LRT had been renamed so that tourists and visitors to the capital would associate the name with our country.

According to him, LRT is the technical name of this type of transport, while in many countries light rail systems have their own names that are clearer and more familiar to residents.

When asked whether the renaming was linked to a desire to distance the project from its scandal-ridden history, which has dragged on for many years, he replied that this factor also exists. However, according to him, it is still not the main goal.