ASTANA – Tarlan, Astana’s light rail transit (LRT) system, carried 2,076,980 passengers in June, its first full month of operation, according to Kazakhstan’s Bureau of National Statistics. A view of Astana’s Tarlan light rail transit system. Photo credit: Akorda.
Each trip counted as one passenger in the official statistics, reported the First Credit Bureau’s press service on July 16. The figure is close to 2.4 million passengers served by the Almaty Metro during the same month. Despite similar passenger numbers, Astana’s Tarlan recorded a higher passenger turnover, reaching 46.5 million passenger-kilometers compared to 34.9 million passenger-kilometers for the Almaty Metro.
Passenger turnover reflects both the number of passengers and the distance they travel. The difference is largely explained by the longer LRT route, which spans 22.4 kilometers, compared with the Almaty Metro network, which covers 13.4 kilometers. June marked the first full month of the Astana Tarlan operations following the launch of the line connecting Astana International Airport and the city’s new railway station on May 16.
From the opening through the end of June, the system transported 3.2 million passengers and generated 503.1 million tenge (US$1 million) in fare revenue.