The official opening of the railway station after a large-scale reconstruction took place in the city of Jezkazgan, the administrative center of the Ulytau Region, according to infohub.kz.
The ceremony was attended by Yesset Baiken, Akim of the Ulytau Region; Nurzhan Kelbuganov, Chairman of the Committee for Railway and Water Transport of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan; representatives of the National Company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) joint-stock company, the contractor, and city residents.
Nurzhan Kelbuganov noted that the renovation of the Jezkazgan station was carried out as part of a large-scale program to reconstruct and modernize 124 railway stations on the instructions of the head of state.
The Jezkazgan railway station was built in 1941. As a result of the reconstruction, the area of the two-story building has been increased from 582 to 2,500 square meters, which has significantly expanded the facility's functional capabilities and created more comfortable conditions for passengers.
During the reconstruction, a new load-bearing frame, walls, and floors were erected, and the roof was completely renewed. A complex of works was carried out to lay external and internal engineering networks, including water supply, sewerage, heating, electricity, and communication systems. The station has been connected to the central heating system.
The facade and interior spaces of the building have also been completely renovated. New window units and stained-glass windows have been installed, and modern wear-resistant, durable, and easy-to-clean finishing materials have been used. Suspended ceilings have been installed in the rooms, and the floors are lined with porcelain stoneware and commercial linoleum.
During the reconstruction, paving stones were laid on the adjacent territory, the canopy and passenger platform were updated, and new fences, furniture, and necessary equipment were installed. To ensure passenger safety, additional evacuation routes were arranged and new evacuation doors were installed in accordance with fire safety requirements.
The station's average daily passenger traffic is about 1,800 people. Twelve trains pass through the station, connecting Jezkazgan with Astana, Almaty, Pavlodar, Kyzylorda, and Karaganda.
The reconstruction of the station will improve the quality of passenger service, create modern and comfortable conditions for passengers, and ensure the further development of the transport infrastructure of the Ulytau Region. Previously, the reconstruction of stations at Karazhal, Zhanaarka, and Kyzylzhar was completed in the region.
The costs of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ, a 100% subsidiary of Samruk-Kazyna) for the modernization of railway stations were not taken into account by the Committee for the Regulation of Natural Monopolies of the Ministry of National Economy when considering the national company's application to raise tariffs, KTZ told Kursiv.
Earlier, KTZ reported plans to allocate 168 billion tenge of borrowed funds for the modernization of stations. When submitting the application for tariff changes, the company provided contracts with banks for all station modernization projects, some of which were built during the Russian Empire. The Ministry of Transport reported that a total of 124 stations across the country will be reconstructed using KTZ funds.