Kazakhstan is a country with 21,000 km of railway tracks, transporting millions of tons of cargo and nearly 20 million passengers annually. However, the wear and tear on freight cars reaches 54%, and on passenger cars, 42%. The issue of fleet renewal has remained one of the most pressing for the industry for several years. The business sector is responding with increased production. In Petropavlovsk, the RWS Wagon plant (part of the Railways Systems KZ holding) currently manufactures 12 types of rolling stock—ranging from bogies to passenger and freight cars.

It should be noted that at a meeting of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Minister of Industry and Construction Yersayin Nagaspayev outlined three priorities for 2025: restrictions on the operation of railcars with extended service life; sufficient funding for the purchase of railcars and open-top railcars; and long-term consideration of the issue of concluding off-take contracts.

“The renewal of the railcar fleet must be closely linked to the development of the domestic machine-building sector, which will allow for the simultaneous expansion of production capacity and modernization of the railcar fleet,” the minister emphasized.

A New Quality Standard for Passengers

The Petropavlovsk Plant manufactures rail buses, passenger cars—including compartment cars, open-plan cars, and staff cars—as well as EP3D electric trains (including the Burabay Express tourist train, which runs between the capital and the Borovoye resort).

In March of this year, the domestic railcar fleet was expanded with new Model 45 passenger cars. The company noted significant improvements compared to the previous series. For instance, in the new cars, a smooth ride is ensured by air suspension, and the sealed passageways are designed for safe movement throughout the entire train and to create a uniform microclimate.

“The innovations in our cars are both technological and design-oriented. Passengers should be able to carry out their usual activities even while traveling—calling family, working, studying. That is why the cars are equipped with Wi-Fi, individual power outlets, and climate control systems,” explains Sergey Pavlinger, Chairman of the Board of Railways Systems KZ.

The national carrier has already deployed the new cars on domestic and international routes. These include the Aktobe–Mangistau route, parts of the Mangistau–Semey route, and the new Astana–Taldykorgan route. The rolling stock has also been updated on the Astana–Semey route, where cars dating back to 1993 were previously in service. Passengers on the international routes Karaganda–Moscow and Astana–Omsk now travel in 45th series railcars.

In total, since 2022, the national carrier has purchased 436 passenger railcars manufactured by RWS Wagon, with plans to purchase another 131 railcars in the coming year.

Innovations in Freight Transport

As of 2025, over 141,000 freight cars are in operation in Kazakhstan, about half of which are open cars. More than 13% have already exceeded the standard service life of 22 years. In the fall of 2025, the government imposed a ban on the operation of railcars that underwent service life extension work after October 1 (with a number of exceptions).

Universal open-top cars, universal flatcars, and flatcars for transporting large-capacity containers are essential for the development of Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics sector. Their current shortage is one of the barriers to the development of the railway industry. If there are few railcars, then there is less freight transport, which Kazakhstan, a historic transit hub, cannot afford.

RWS Wagon reports that it is implementing a program to develop new types of freight railcars. These include the development of car carriers for the needs of JSC “NC “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” (KTZ), as well as covered railcars. Last year, a tank car for transporting petroleum products received certification. However, railcars are only half the story. Kazakhstan also needs its own bogies.

Bogies take the brunt of the impact

A bogie is the undercarriage of a railcar. It bears the entire load (up to 23–25 tons per axle), ensures stability on the rails, absorbs shocks and vibrations, determines the smoothness of the ride, and, ultimately, the safety of passengers and cargo.

The plant in Petropavlovsk manufactures two-axle bogies for 18-9918 model freight cars and is also working on the 18-3221 model welded bogie. In addition, for the 12-6773 open car, the interval between overhauls was successfully increased by using more wear-resistant components in the bogie: friction wedges with liners, slide caps, strips, axle box gaskets, and bearing supports. Domestically produced wheels for bogies are manufactured in Ekibastuz by the RWS KZ holding’s solid-rolled wheel plant.

A welded bogie differs from a cast one in that the main load-bearing structure (frame) is manufactured not by casting, but by welding individual steel elements and profiles. In other words, while a cast frame consists of three elements (two crossbeams and one over-spring beam), the welded structure is a single, monolithic unit.

Although cast bogies are cheaper than welded ones, they are prone to a number of serious defects. These include hidden cavities and pores, which lead to cracks and reduce product reliability. Additionally, more metal is wasted during the casting process.

Welded bogies, on the other hand, are free of casting defects. The rolled metal (metal quality) guarantees the absence of cavities or pores, and consequently, the product’s reliability is higher. Furthermore, localized damage in sheet metal is easier to diagnose and repair through welding. Moreover, welded bogies are lighter than cast ones. Thanks to their lower weight and more precise geometry, they are more stable at high speeds. Passenger cars typically use welded bogies, as they reduce vibrations and ensure a smooth ride.

“In the short term, purchasing bogies abroad is cheaper than domestic production. However, in the long term, this would pose a risk for Kazakhstan of remaining merely a ‘user’ without its own engineering expertise, development capabilities, or the ability to adapt bogies to summer heat and winter blizzards.  “Once bogie production is established in Kazakhstan, we can control every stage of the process. Supplies won’t be cut off by another party, and the development of manufacturing and the creation of new jobs will form a cohesive industrial ecosystem,” says Sergey Pavlinger, Chairman of the Board of Railways Systems KZ.

Digitalization and Workforce

A new rolling stock production facility opened in Petropavlovsk in the fall of 2025. Its distinctive feature is increased automation through robotic equipment. Three IGM welding complexes consist of three robots and nine welding machines. They can simultaneously manufacture three railcar frames.

“Nine platform frames are produced per day. The weight of the welded blank is 25 tons. Robots significantly reduce manual labor. However, it cannot be said that we are replacing people with technology. On the contrary, new jobs have been created, and employees have undergone training in maintenance and the basics of programming. “The nature of work is changing, and we must stay on track,” says Sergey Pavlinger, Chairman of the Board of Railways Systems KZ.

In addition to upskilling current employees, the company is also focusing on working with young people. Future technologists, engineers, and environmentalists—students from the B. Ashimov Petropavlovsk College of Mechanical Engineering and Transport and the M. Kozybaev North Kazakhstan University—are completing internships.

Technological Sovereignty on Rails

Every country has two paths: to buy or to produce. Buying is faster and cheaper. Manufacturing is more expensive and more difficult, but tomorrow the country will have a choice. Kazakhstan has chosen the second path. Not because it is easy, but because this is the only way to achieve true independence.

Reported by MIA “Ratel Media” with reference to the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan.