Almaty plans to re-introduce trams

The city of Almaty is the largest in Kazakhstan, with a population exceeding two million, and was the country’s capital until 1997 (when it moved to Astana). The city operated a traditional Soviet tramway system from 1937 until 2015, when the last ex-Berlin Tatra KT4D were withdrawn after accidents resulting from poor maintenance. A metro line was opened in 2011 and extended to 13.4km in 2022, using 15 trains supplied by HyundaiRotem and carrying 80 000 passengers/day. 

 

Now the Mayor’s office has announced the construction of an 18.3km east–west tram line connecting the Alatau district with the Almaty-2 railway station, using mostly reserved tracks along Momyshuly and Tole Bi streets. The remaining rails from the first-generation tramway are being lifted and new standard-gauge track laid serving 34 stations. The goal is to enable passengers to transfer quickly and conveniently and perceive the system as part of a unified network. In the future the tram will connect the western and eastern transport hubs, where the metro, BRT, taxis and bus routes will be integrated. It is hoped to launch tramway service in 2029.