Kazakh Railways (KTZ) plans to buy 574 new locomotives by 2029. At least 200 of them will be purchased from the Chinese firm CRRC.

“By 2029, 374 modern locomotives will be bought. Besides that, 100 shunting locomotives and 100 mainline locomotives will be bought from the Chinese corporation CRRC Corporation Limited”, KTZ specified in a Telegram post.

The Kazakh operator adds that its freight department currently has a locomotive fleet of approximately 1600 units. In 2023, it bought 113 new additions to the arsenal, and in 2024 it expects to expand the fleet by 185 more.

KTZ particularly refers to the importance of its traction capacities in light of the upcoming grain harvest in a number of its regions. Traditionally, Kazakhstan exports grain to the countries of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, but also the Baltic states. Grain exports have grown by 13,8 per cent throughout the first even months of 2024, KTZ says.