Astana Light Metro

Astana Light Metro
Constructed Astana Light Metro train
Overview
Locale	Astana, Kazakhstan
Transit type	Light metro
Number of lines	1
Number of stations	18
Operation
Operation will start	2025
Train length	2 carriages per trainset
Technical
System length	21.5 km (13.4 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) [1]
Top speed	80 km/h (50 mph)

The Astana Metro is a Light metro system under construction located in Astana, Kazakhstan, which is the capital of the country with a population of over 1,400,000. ^[2]

History

Astana Light Metro station under construction, 2019

The initial plan was termed "LRT", yet images show light metro trains. ^[3] Construction should have finished roughly about the same time as the Almaty Metro, which was estimated for 2010. However, completion has been postponed several times, in 2011 completion was scheduled to coincide with the Expo in 2017 ^[4] and as of October 2017 the first stage is planned to be commissioned in December 2019. ^[3] Project authority Astana LRT LLP signed an agreement with a consortium of China Railway International Group (subsidiary of China Railway Group Limited) and Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co for construction of the first phase of the capital’s urban rail project on May 7, 2015. ^[5] Construction began in May 2017. ^[6]

The light metro is part of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev's Kazakhstan 2030 economic plan to transform Kazakhstan into an economic power.

Video renders of the proposed system show the lines built on viaducts running adjacent to roads, with enclosed stations offering heating and ventilation systems to protect passengers from the extreme weather variations in the city. ^[7]

The Chinese company constructing the project went bankrupt early 2019. The city hall ordered an indefinite halt to it. ^[8] Since then, the half-built remnants of the project have become a prominent symbol of corruption within the country. ^{[9] [10]}

As of 2023, construction has restarted and the system is planned to open by 2024-2025. ^[11] In 2024, it was clarified that the system is planned to open in 2025. The Astana light metro will feature ground and elevated stations, with 18 stations spanning a total length of 22.4 kilometers. It will also launch 19 units of rolling stock, each capable of carrying 652 passengers. ^[12] In 2025, the first trains from CRRC Tangshan were delivered. ^[2]

Line 1

The 21.5 kilometres (13.4 mi) North-South route would link Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport with Astana Nurly Zhol railway station via the modern "Left Bank" area of the city centre. The line will have 18 stops and one depot ^[13] . Capacity is estimated to be 146,000 people per day. ^{[14] [3]}

A total of 19 trains ^[15] will run on the line at average intervals of 4-5 minutes. Each train has a capacity of 652 passengers ^[16] .

In August 2025, the Astana City Administration approved the final names for Line 1 stations ^[17] . Previously, all stations were numbered from 101 to 118, where the hundreds digit indicated the line number and the tens digit indicated the station number.

Station number	Station name	Station name (Kazakh)
101	Airport	Әуежай
102	Atameken	Атамекен
103	Esil	Есіл
104	Mangilik El	Мәңгілік ел
105	Astana Star	Астана жұлдызы
106	Nura	Нұра
107	University	Университет
108	Uly Dala	Ұлы дала
109	Astana Arena	Астана Арена
110	Martial Arts Palace	Жекпе-жек сарайы
111	Syganak	Сығанақ
112	Baiterek	Бәйтерек
113	House of Ministries	Министрліктер үйі
114	National Museum	Ұлттық музей
115	Theatre	Театр
116	Mynzhyldyk Alley	Мыңжылдық аллеясы
117	Zhibek Zholy	Жібек жолы
118	Railway Station	Нұрлы жол

Further phases

Original plans show further phases to link other areas of the city. ^[18]

See also

• Almaty Metro
• Lists of urban rail transit systems

References

1. "500 м рельсов уложено на участке LRT в Астане".
2. "First train delivered to Astana light metro". www.mainspring.co.uk. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
3. "First pictures of light rail train system in Astana revealed". The Astana Times. 11 October 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
4. "Около 50 легкорельсовых трамваев планируют запустить в Астане к EXPO-2017". 13 December 2012.
5. "Astana light rail framework agreement signed - Railway Gazette". www.railwaygazette.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-15.
6. "Astana to begin light rail system construction in May". The Astana Times. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
7. "What will the LRT look like in Astana?". YouTube. 4 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
8. Kumenov, Almaz (2019-04-17). "Kazakhstan: Nur-Sultan goes off the rails". Eurasianet . Retrieved 2022-11-19.
9. Moldabekov, Daniyar (2021-10-29). "Plastic flowers wilt in Kazakhstan's latest spending scandal". Eurasianet . Retrieved 2022-11-19.
10. Sorbello, Paolo (2021-10-16). "Kazakhstan's Light Rail Corruption Case Drags on". The Diplomat . Retrieved 2022-11-19.
11. "Kazakhstan splurges to get Astana light rail back on track". eurasianet. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
12. "LRT to Be Commissioned This Autumn in Astana".
13. Informburo (2023-07-26). "Где будут останавливаться поезда ЛРТ в Астане". informburo.kz (in Russian). Retrieved 2025-09-07.
14. 哈萨克斯坦首都阿斯塔纳轨道交通构想 - Ministry of Commerce,PRC Archived 2009-01-26 at the Wayback Machine
15. "Запуск LRT в Астане: как он изменит рынок недвижимости". inbusiness.kz (in Russian). 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
16. "Аким Астаны: При запуске LRT на поездах будут ездить 25 тысяч человек в сутки". Forbes.kz (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2024-11-02. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
17. "Карта станций LRT в Астане". Oryn.kz.
18. "Astana answers mobility challenges by building its light rail system - Railway PRO Communication Platform". Railway PRO Communication Platform. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2017.