Astana is considering launching commuter rail as a new form of public transport, and the city's Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Land Relations has disclosed details and an approximate timeline for the initiative, according to infohub.kz.
It was previously reported that five trains with a total capacity of up to 500 passengers are planned to be put into service on lines in Astana. In the future, the commuter trains could carry up to 16,000 people per day. It was noted that this refers to a new type of public transport, similar to LRT or buses.
A NUR.KZ correspondent sent a request to the press service of Astana's Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Land Relations asking for more details about the planned launch. The department emphasized that no final decision has been made yet, and the commuter rail option remains a proposal.
"In the long term, for the development of rail transport as one of the types of intracity passenger transportation, around 2050 it is envisaged that the city could use about five trains with a capacity of up to 500 passengers each," the department said.
It was also noted that no new railway lines need to be built. The reason is that the possibility of using the existing Astana-1 — Nūrly Zhol railway route is currently being considered.
In the future, stations will be located at intersections with major city thoroughfares, including in the area of Pushkin and Qoshqarbaev streets.
It was also previously reported what the commuter rail stations could be: the Karaganda transport hub, Mustafin Street, Pushkin Street, and Bogenbai Batyr Avenue.