JSC NC KTZ has introduced a forward-looking concept for wheel-rail contact lubrication, with implementation scheduled across the 2025–2030 period. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to ensure sustainable interaction between railway wheels and rails across Kazakhstan's mainline infrastructure.
Speaking on the current state of the network, Aslan Maratov, Chief Manager of the Information and Analytical Department at KTZ's Technical Center, highlighted the scale of the challenge. The mainline network currently operates more than 2,600 km of curves with radii reaching up to 1,200 meters. Rail replacement over the past three years has amounted to over 300 km, signaling a sustained wear problem that the new concept aims to address.
Technology and Operational Goals
The concept centers on improving lubrication technology efficiency through a dual approach: establishing a control and monitoring system for wheel-rail contact zone maintenance, and deploying innovative solutions across the network. Key components include friction modifiers and activators designed to optimize the lubrication process, along with complex methods for treating the rail running surface.
These measures are expected to enhance lubrication quality while simultaneously reducing operating expenditure. The Technical Center's strategy emphasizes that proactive management of wheel-rail interaction can extend rail lifespan and decrease the frequency of replacement interventions currently required.
Safety and Service Implications
Beyond cost considerations, KTZ has framed the program as integral to broader transport safety objectives. Effective wheel-rail lubrication directly influences braking performance, reduces the risk of derailments on curved sections, and minimizes wear-related track degradation that could compromise line integrity.
The operator anticipates that successful implementation will translate into improved reliability for both freight and passenger operations traversing Kazakhstan's mainline. By targeting the root causes of accelerated wear in high-curvature sections, the concept aligns network maintenance practices with long-term capacity and safety goals.