High-speed rail in Kazakhstan
Astana–Almaty
Qazaqstan Temir Zholy, the national rail company of Kazakhstan, has awarded a contract to oversee the design and construction of a high-speed line from Astana (the country's capital) to Almaty (its largest city).[1][2] The line is expected to be 1,011 km (628 mi) long, and will travel via Karaganda and Balkhash.[1][2] A 10 km (6.2 mi) viaduct across Lake Balkhash is planned near Sayaq.[1][2] The trains are expected by be built by Tulpar-Talgo (a joint venture established in 2011 between Qazaqstan Temir Zholy and Spanish company Talgo[3]), and will have a maximum speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), completing the trip in five and a half hours.[1][2] The system will use Russian gauge, the same as used by Kazakhstan's existing conventional lines.[1][2] However, in 2013 the project was postponed due to high cost, and since the passenger number were doubted, since many would fly anyway when the trains take over five hours.[4]
Moscow–Beijing through Kazakhstan
A Moscow-Beijing-HSR is either to pass through Altai or through Kazakhstan.[5]
Statement from 2015 shows preference for the Kazakhstan route [6]
- Details
- Route: Moscow - Kazan - Ekaterinburg - Petropavlovsk - Astana - Semei - Hovd - Ulaanbaatar - Beijing
- Track gauge: 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) Russian gauge
- Electrification: 25kV 50Hz AC overhead lines
- Loading gauge: Russian T
- Platform heights: 200 mm (7.9 in) and 550 mm (21.7 in)
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Kazakhstan plans 1 000 km high speed line". Railway Gazette International. 2013-03-13.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Kazakhstan to build first high-speed line". International Railway Journal. 2013-03-13.
- ↑ "President Opens Train Manufacturing Plant "Tulpar-Talgo"". 2011-12-09.
- ↑ Kazakhstan postpones construction of new high-speed railway, 2013-11-02
- ↑ "Moscow-Beijing high speed rail to pass through either Kazakhstan or Altai - RZD | Russia Beyond The Headlines". rbth.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-04-03.
- ↑ "Moscow to Beijing in 2 days: China to build $242bn high-speed railway — RT Business". rt.com. Retrieved 2015-04-03.