The development of a long-anticipated light rail transit (LRT) line in Almaty has gotten off the ground. The timeline for the project’s start and completion has been set. Kursiv LifeStyle explains where the first route will run.
The discussion of the feasibility study for the line took place on Feb. 17. According to published documents, the depot will be established in the industrial zone of the Alatau district. The route will start there and run along Bauyrzhan Momyshuly Street southward, then along Tole Bi Street eastward to Abylai Khan Ave, where it will turn north toward the Almaty-2 railway station and terminate at the Raiymbek Batyr transport hub.
Previously, options for the LRT line included running along Panfilov Street and Gogol Street; however, this idea appears to have been canceled. Another proposal suggested that the line would reach Almaty’s satellite towns of Kaskelen and Talgar, but presumably these plans are not currently being discussed.
The length of the first phase of the line will be almost 18 kilometers, with 34 passenger platforms along the route. The segment between Abylai Khan Ave and Almaty-2 railway station will operate under its own independent power source, without a contact power system.
Construction of the LRT line is planned to begin in the second quarter of 2027, tentatively in April, and to be completed in the second quarter of 2029. The preparatory stage, including demolition of buildings and relocation of utility networks, is expected to take approximately seven months.
City authorities revisit the LRT issue along Tole Bi Street every year, pledging to fund and promote the project, which was intended to replace the previously existing Almaty tram system.
