Containerised hospital on tracks in Kazakhstan

KTZ Express, an intermodal subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways, has contributed to fighting with the coronavirus in the country. It delivered to Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, the components for the prefabricated hospital. The medical building was constructed of the mobile container-based homes.

To deliver the components for the containerised hospital, KTZ Express used 92 freight wagons. Among them are 52 flat wagons, 37 open wagons, 2 bogie bolster wagons and 1 covered wagon. The mobile homes were transported across entire Kazakhstan in three days – from Opornaya station in the western part of the country to Burunday station in Almaty, located in the southeast.

The project of the prefabricated hospital was completed by the Kazakh construction company BI Group last week. The medical institution erected of the containerised mobile homes is dedicated to patients with infectious diseases. It has a capacity of 280 beds.

Other measures

Besides the mentioned shipment, staff of Kazakhstan Railways helps the local authorities to disinfect streets in some towns and areas around the train stations. The railway company purchased medical equipment (masks, medical gloves, antiseptic substances) for its personnel. All the passenger trains have been suspended in Kazakhstan on 4 April.

Stable freight

Meanwhile, freight trains including transit container trains from China are running steadily. In order to handle the containers and other freight to/from the neighbouring countries, Kazakhstan Railways is using more and more digital solutions. Where this is not possible, KTZ equipped its personnel with the hazmat suits for contacting the colleagues of other railway companies, especially at the border stations.