Kazakhstan's national railway operator transported 13.6 million passengers by rail in 2024, according to an extended meeting on annual transportation results held at JSC Passenger Transportation. The event gathered KTZ management, JSC Passenger Transportation executives, and branch representatives across the carrier's network.
The company described 2024 as a pivotal stage demonstrating stable growth across its operations. Anuar Akhmetzhanov, CEO of JSC Passenger Transportation, emphasized the importance of passenger trust as a foundational metric for the carrier.
Passenger Volume and Route Performance
The carrier moved 13.6 million passengers throughout 2024, with peak demand occurring during the summer months when 4.2 million passengers traveled by rail. The highest-traffic corridors included Astana-Almaty, Astana-Shymkent, Almaty-Shymkent, Astana-Semey, and Almaty-Semey routes.
Fleet Expansion and Service Upgrades
The company commissioned 118 newly built domestic railcars from the Petropavlovsk manufacturing plant in 2024. Among these, 6 modern suburban cars began operating on the Astana-Borovoye Resort route, offering passengers an elevated comfort standard for leisure travel.
Service quality improvements extended to onboard amenities. The carrier introduced a revised bed linen standard, enlarging towel dimensions, equipping mattresses with anti-slip surfaces, upgrading pillow fillings, and adding valve closures to pillowcases. Ongoing cleaning operations were outsourced to private companies, significantly improving hygiene frequency and standards. The fleet undergoes regular deratization, disinsection, and disinfection procedures.
Digital adoption continued to accelerate, with online ticket sales reaching 80% of total transactions in 2024, a substantial increase compared to prior years.
Accessibility and Specialized Services
The "Women's Carriage" initiative expanded by 3 new routes in 2024, bringing the total number of served corridors to 11. Since the service launched, 531,000 women have traveled under this arrangement.
The Waiting List feature, allowing passengers to queue for tickets when seats become available, served 174,000 users who successfully purchased tickets through the system. The carrier issued 533,000 tickets to passengers with disabilities during 2024, reflecting continued investment in accessible travel infrastructure.
Cross-Border Tourism Development
A notable 2024 initiative was the inauguration of the "Jibek Joly" tourist route linking cities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan: Tashkent, Samarkand, Almaty, Turkestan, and Shymkent. Two inaugural trips transported over 200 tourists along this corridor, establishing a framework for expanded regional tourism cooperation.