Astana LRT: All 19 Train Sets Now in Full Simultaneous Testing

Astana's long-delayed light rail project has reached a critical threshold: all nineteen trainsets built by China's CRRC Tangshan are now operating on the line at the same time. This validation stage directly determines whether the system can open to the public this spring, in a city whose public transport network has struggled to keep pace with rapid population growth.

City authorities confirmed on 7 April 2026 that the Light Rail Transit system had entered comprehensive final testing. Trials are being conducted in fully automated GOA4 mode the highest international grade of rail automation, requiring no driver on board already in service in Singapore, Dubai and several Chinese cities. Tests simulate real operating conditions, including passenger boarding and alighting, station dwell times and schedule adherence.

Each 60-metre, four-car train can carry up to 650 passengers. The rolling stock has been engineered to withstand Central Asian winters down to −40 °C. The 22.4 km elevated line links the Nurly Zhol railway hub to the international airport across 18 stations. A Unified Dispatch Centre manages all train movements, coordinates traffic signals and processes transport data in real time.

Mayor Zhenis Kassymbek and Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar inspected the depot and dispatch centre in March 2026. Of the nineteen delivered trains, fifteen are earmarked for commercial service and four held in reserve. A indicative fare of around 200 tenge per journey has been discussed but remains subject to formal adoption by official resolution. No firm opening date has been announced; the launch depends on full system certification once all technical requirements have been met.