China-built Astana Light Rail in Kazakhstan sees daily passenger volume exceed 100,000

ASTANA, Kazakhtelecom News — According to the news office of Astana City Transport System (CTS), the daily passenger volume on the Astana Light Rail Transit (LRT) system has surpassed 100,000, exceeding its designed capacity.

"Since the launch of the light rail service, the total number of passengers has reached 180,000. On just yesterday alone, 100,000 passengers used this transportation mode," said Asylbek Duishembayev, Chairman of CTS Company.

He noted that the load on the light rail system is gradually stabilizing, and passenger numbers have already decreased by half.

Due to high passenger volumes, the light rail operator urges residents not to interfere with system operations.

"The light rail system operates fully automatically without drivers. Therefore, we urge everyone to strictly follow safety regulations. Certain behaviors could lead to train shutdowns. No violations were detected today, and traffic operations are proceeding normally," said Duishembayev.

Earlier reports indicated that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan officially launched the Astana Light Rail Transit (LRT) system on the 16th.

The Astana LRT line spans 22.4 kilometers and currently deploys 15 driverless trains in operation, with an additional four serving as backup vehicles. Each train can carry more than 600 passengers.

The system operates under full automation, including automated train control, acceleration, braking, door opening, and emergency response procedures. At the same time, to ensure operational safety, manual control and real-time communication with the central dispatch center remain available.

Currently, the LRT infrastructure includes 18 stations and one modern vehicle depot. The total travel time is approximately 40 minutes, with an average train speed of 50 to 60 kilometers per hour, and a train interval of about 5 to 6 minutes.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1865596979443716/

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