Astana LRT: A Three-Letter Corruption Story

The saga of Astana's LRT construction appears to be nearing its end — at least according to the city's Akim. Over more than 10 years, the project has evolved from the first President's ambitious dream into a corruption scandal and a heavy burden on the country's budget.
Here's a detailed look at the LRT's cost, construction progress, and residents' perspectives.
A Monument to Corruption: The Timeline
The need for an advanced public transport system in the new capital has long been discussed.
The Light Rail Transit (LRT) project's history in Astana began in 2005, when the city Akimat, following Nursultan Nazarbayev's instructions, developed the "New Transport System of Astana" program.
Initially, they planned to build a light rail system to improve the capital's transport infrastructure.
In 2011, Astana LRT LLP was established to handle the project's design and construction.
That same year, on July 4, Nazarbayev participated in a capsule-laying ceremony marking the start of construction. However, actual construction work never began.
By 2013, the LRT project was suspended due to its high cost. Instead, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system was proposed.
In 2015, the government signed an agreement with a consortium of Chinese companies to resume the project.
Construction formally began in 2017 but soon became one of the country's most prominent corruption cases.
Speaking in the Majilis after the January Events, President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev addressed many sensitive issues for Kazakhstanis, including the LRT. Toqayev acknowledged that the project not only concerns but also irritates people, though demolishing it is impossible due to financial losses:
From a regular infrastructure project, it has turned into a serious problem that damages the country's reputation. Enormous funds have already been spent, loans taken, and substantial contractual obligations made to foreign partners. The project was flawed from the start. This must be acknowledged. And it's a project with a strong scent of corruption. Now we need to make optimal decisions because simple demolition means loss of time and money. We have no choice but to invite domestic and foreign architects and urban planners who will determine possible options for using this project, he stated.
People have dubbed the LRT a "monument to corruption."
In January 2022, BI Group head Aidyn Rakhimbayev vowed to dismantle the LRT supports at his own expense if allowed. After learning the actual cost, he had a change of heart.
Even the Astana LRT company distanced itself and was renamed City Transportation Systems (CTS). Though its employees claimed the rebranding wasn't due to corruption cases but rather to reflect their full scope of work.
The rejection cost the company only 100,000 tenge — the logo was developed by internal staff and active citizens.
Negativity Attracts Negativity
There have been other incidents as well. Since construction began, accidents, mishaps, and tragic incidents have been recorded at its sites.
According to the police department, at least nine traffic accidents related to LRT facilities occurred in the capital.
Cars collided with support, barriers, and other structures. Thirty cases were registered where falling objects from the construction site damaged vehicles.
Twenty-one incidents were recorded, including three violations of labor protection rules and two safety violations during construction work.
On June 29, 2023, a Chevrolet Malibu driver, moving along Syganak Street, lost control on the Arys bridge and crashed into an LRT concrete support. The 43-year-old driver died at the scene.
On May 9, 2024, at the intersection of Kerey Zhanibek Khandar and Kabanbay Batyr streets, at the construction site of one of the LRT supports, a ZOOMLION crane belonging to China Railway Asia-Europe Construction Investment collapsed.
According to the Industrial Safety Committee of the Kazakhstan Ministry of Emergency Situations, the preliminary cause of the accident was overload. Fortunately, no one was harmed. It was discovered that the crane was not registered and had no work permit.
On June 9, 2024, in Astana's Yessil district, near the "Nurly Jol" railway station, a fire broke out at the LRT construction site. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, cloth material caught fire over an area of 80 square meters.
Astana's Akim Zhenis Kassymbek commented on the fires and incidents at the LRT construction site, stating that such incidents occur at any extensive facilities and haven't increased in frequency.
This is a normal situation during construction. When work pace increases and more people are involved, such incidents sometimes occur, he noted.
Will the Project Pay Off?
The LRT route in Astana will connect the airport with the new railway station, running along Kabanbay Batyr, Syganak, Shamshi Kaldayakov, and A82 avenues.
It's expected to serve up to 25,000 passengers daily.
The final fare and payment methods will be known after the facility becomes operational. To ensure affordable rates, socially significant passenger transportation will be approved by the local executive body, the city Akimat stated.
The total line length will be 22.4 km with 18 stations.
These will cover important locations, including the Prigorodny residential area, the new Central Mosque, Mega Silk Way, Nazarbayev University, Botanical Garden, Abu Dhabi Plaza, House of Ministries, Central Museum, and Independence Square.
Stations promise to meet international standards, considering safety and accessibility.
They will feature ticket offices, ticket vending machines, waiting areas with shops, sanitary zones, and systems preventing passengers from accessing tracks. For accessibility, there will be elevators and escalators, plus 10 underground and seven overhead pedestrian crossings.
The line will operate 19 trains manufactured by China's CRRC Tangshan Co., Ltd. The TRITON model, with 115 kW power, can accommodate up to 652 passengers and reach 80 km/h speeds.
Train operation will be remote-controlled.
The Chinese company China Railway Asia-Europe Construction Investment serves as the general contractor.
About 1,300 workers are involved in the project, of whom 1,000 are Chinese citizens.
The project is implemented in foreign currency, with a total cost of 1.8 billion dollars, which has remained unchanged. Actual payment has been made for 491 million dollars, the Astana Akimat reported.
According to Toqayev himself, the LRT in Astana will never be recoupable.
However, it still needs to be completed. The city Akimat confirmed this is a "social project without commercial effectiveness."
Economist Rasul Rysmambetov also doubts the LRT will ever pay off. And if it does, according to him, "at best, our great-great-grandchildren will see it."
Even if passenger flow doubles and the fare is 500 tenge, taking today's dollar exchange rate for convenience, the LRT will bring in roughly 18 million dollars annually. Now the Akimat claims the project costs 1.8 billion dollars — which means it would take 103 years to recoup these funds. And this doesn't account for staff salaries, training, and planned and unplanned repairs. Considering these variables, the project will take significantly longer to pay off, the economist notes.
He emphasizes that generally, public transport is "almost always not about profitability, but about citizen convenience and urban infrastructure development."
In his opinion, the LRT is primarily an image project, like many other initiatives in Astana, such as EXPO.
We already see with the EXPO pavilions that they need repairs, some of them major. Are they paying off? That's an interesting question. A little more time and everything will need to be rebuilt. This facility is already worn out. LRT could become the same story, Rysmambetov concludes.
He noted that, like the Almaty metro, Astana's LRT needs to be completed and implemented, with expansion planned in advance.
Residents' Opinions
Astana residents who live and work near the LRT also shared their views. Some participants' names have been changed at their request.
I don't live near the LRT, but I work in close proximity. The inconvenience isn't huge, but construction makes it impossible to reach my office from one side, so my commute has increased by about 20 minutes. I don't know what problems might arise in the future, but train noise is clearly a factor that concerns me, noted Ivan Kotov.
Feras Sarsembayev bought an apartment in this area before construction began:
I've already faced many problems. When construction started, heavy equipment - from trucks to bulldozers - constantly passed through our residential complex territory. Until now, Kaldayakov Street, which runs parallel to Nazhimedenov, remains unfinished, there's no proper road because there's no point in building one where heavy equipment moves. Construction work was accompanied by constant noise, and this whole process, of course, has dragged on, he said.
Feras is also concerned about noise.
He said city authorities haven't held meetings with residents or explained the project's operation.
Over the past five years, I've attended three out of five reporting meetings between residents and our residential complex management company representatives. They didn't say anything about the LRT, but it seems they themselves aren't informed. The Akimat hasn't sent any notifications in chats either, the capital resident added.
Madina Sarmatova lives in the "Vremena Goda" residential complex. She's worried about train noise since her apartment windows are level with the tracks. She's also concerned about vibrations from moving transport.
When they were developing the area and driving piles for neighboring complexes, everything was shaking. Not a pleasant experience. They asked us to be patient then — but what will happen when trains start running? My mother lives in Republic and constantly hears trains arriving at the old station, and here the tracks are right under the windows! she says.
According to her, the Akimat hasn't provided any reference information about the LRT operation and its impact on nearby residents' lives and health.
Kairat rents an apartment near the "Nurly Jol" station and considers LRT a necessary project for the city, although he would prefer a metro.
I was in sixth grade when they announced they would start construction. Next year I'll be sending my son to school, and they still haven't finished. It's funny. But it's good that new jobs will appear — the city needs them. And we need to reduce bus congestion, it's terrible there. Like in Almaty already, he says.
He also heard the project should be completely silent and safe, so he isn't worried.
Back in 2017, they kept saying these were new Chinese technologies. Or maybe they were French then, I don't remember. But they claimed the trains would be silent and even quieter than buses, so there shouldn't be problems. And they probably wouldn't build something dangerous next to residential buildings, Kairat believes.
At the extended government meeting in January, Astana's Akim Zhenis Kassymbek reported to President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev on LRT construction progress.
According to him, they plan to complete it this summer, and the first trains will arrive in the city in September, with test launches beginning then.
Original Author: Artyom Volkov
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