Almaty plans to acquire 10 additional electric train sets in stages to boost the metro's passenger capacity. The first two trains are expected as early as December 2026, with the remaining eight arriving over the following two years, infohub.kz reports.
Responding to an official request from a NUR.KZ correspondent, the state-owned utility Metropoliten said the first two trains are expected in December 2026 and are scheduled to enter service in February 2027. "This will make it possible to increase the number of trains on the line and partially reduce congestion at the stations," the operator said.
The remaining trains are scheduled as follows: three in 2027 and five in 2028.
Metropoliten does not plan to shorten headways, however. The operator's press service said the number of trains carrying passengers and the intervals between them are set by the current timetable, taking into account passenger flows and the technical readiness of the rolling stock.
"To increase the metro's passenger capacity and ensure uninterrupted service, 14 trains run on the line every day during the morning and evening peaks, with headways of up to 3 minutes 27 seconds (from 06:54 to 09:12 and from 16:00 to 19:50). At other times, 9 trains run on the line with a headway of 6 minutes 54 seconds," Metropoliten said.
Earlier, Almaty residents filmed huge queues at the Bauryzhan Momyshuly metro station. The city's Transport Department attributed the delays to difficulties paying fares through mobile apps and insufficient balances among some passengers, as well as to the layout of the first vestibule, which limits throughput during peak passenger flows.