Kazakhstan opens new railway routes
Kazakhstan held a ceremony to commission two new railways, Zhezkazgan-Beineu and Arkalyk-Shubarkol on August 22.
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev attended the ceremony.
Some 500 billion tenge [182 tenge = $ 1] were spent on the construction of these railways, Nazarbayev said at the ceremony.
"Today we participate in a very important event of the year. We launch the two railway lines in one day and that happens for the first time in our history. The work of railways will determine the life of a number of regions throughout the republic for many years and decades to come. Launch of new lines, stations is possible in our country, for the economic development of Kazakhstan. The government spent 500 billion tenge on these railroads," he said.
Within the frameworks of the railways construction 1,200 kilometers of railway lines, 46 bridges and overpasses and other industrial infrastructure were built, 570 culverts points installed, more than 4,200 kilometers of power supply lines conducted, Kazakhstan Temir Joly "(KTZ) Head Askar Mamin said.
The rail transportations within the frameworks of the new lines will be implemented through 23 stations and 33 sidetrack, including the gateways "Arkalyk", "Shubarkol", "Zheskazgan", "Saksaulskaya", "Shalkar", "Beyneu", the head of the JSC said.
"Input of the newly commissioned railways activates routes of traffic on more than a thousand kilometers in the direction of "North-South" and "East-West" transport corridors, he said.
He added that the commissioning of new railway lines will significantly increase the transit potential of the Transkazakh transport corridors in all directions.