Railway stations at Ushbiik, Zharma, and Shar have reopened in the Abai region after extensive renovations. The opening ceremony was attended by the region's governor, Berik Uali, as reported by infohub.kz.
The work was carried out as part of an initiative by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the program of JSC NC "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" to modernize station infrastructure. In total, 124 stations will be upgraded across the country, including 10 in the Abai region.
"The railway is one of the strategically important transport systems connecting the populated areas of our country. Therefore, modernizing its infrastructure and creating comfortable conditions for passengers is an important task dictated by the times. In the Zharma district, located at the intersection of important transport routes, we are opening three new stations at once. May they provide passengers with comfortable conditions and contribute to the further development of the Zharma district," said Uali.
All three stations play a key role in the region's transport system. Passenger trains pass through them on routes: "Semey - Astana", "Novosibirsk - Almaty", "Pavlodar - Almaty", "Semey - Kyzylorda", and "Ust-Kamenogorsk - Almaty".
The station building in the city of Shar, built in 1982, has increased its area from 413 to 654 square meters after modernization. The one-story building has become two-story, the interior has been completely renovated, an elevator has been installed, and waiting and service areas are equipped with modern facilities. A new island platform 716 meters long has also been built.
At Ushbiik station, the building dates back to 1995, with the last major repair 14 years ago. Now its area has grown from 83.7 to 201.1 square meters, the interior has been updated, and waiting and passenger service rooms are equipped with everything necessary.
The station building at Zharma station, built in 1996, was decided to be demolished and rebuilt. The new station has an area of 347.7 square meters instead of the previous 217. The interior has been refurbished, and waiting and service areas have been brought in line with modern requirements. Additionally, 650 meters of platform have been updated.