Kazakhstan Reclaims Key Railway Line in Aqtau from Private Ownership

In Aqtau, the main railway line connecting Mangyshlaq station to the seaport has been returned to state ownership after being taken from Kaskor-Transservice JSC, Orda.kz reports.

The Prosecutor General’s Office stated that it had pushed for the railway tracks to be reclaimed from the private company.

By the decision of the specialized inter-district economic court of the Mangystau region on March 14, the claims were satisfied in full. This is an important step in ensuring the sustainable development of Kazakhstan's transport infrastructure, which guarantees state control over key objects of the railway network, the Prosecutor General's Office stated.

Connections to Old Elites

Investigations revealed that Kaskor-Transservice JSC has ties to influential figures from the Nazarbayev era. One of its shareholders is 68-year-old Zhaksybek Kulekeyev, who previously served as Minister of Economy, Minister of Education and Science, a top manager at KazMunayGas, and the President of Kazakhstan Temir Joly.

Other shareholders of Kaskor-Transservice JSC include:

• Turarbekov Mereke Amanzholovich
• Dzhumabaeva Aizhan Beketovna
• Shagirov Kanat Beketovich
• Sakhimov Ali Utepovich
• Kudabayev Kanat Nukebaevich

Additionally, 56-year-old Marat Abykayev, the son of Nurtay Abykayev (former head of the National Security Committee and a close associate of ex-President Nursultan Nazarbayev), appears in the list of affiliated individuals connected to the company.

The state has been trying to regain control of these railway tracks for years, with efforts intensifying after the January 2022 events. That year, the Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition conducted an inspection of QKaskor-Transservice.

The agency found that the company owned 15 kilometers of access track and independently set tariffs, creating market imbalances. In response, the company threatened a workers’ strike, warning that 600 railway employees in Aqtau could lose their jobs.

Final Ruling

The Ministry of Transport rejected the company’s arguments, stating that the railway had been privatized earlier but must now return to state ownership. Transport Minister Marat Karabayev emphasized that, under the law, the main railway network must remain state-owned.

Original Author: Dinara Bekbolayeva