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The United Nations Development Programme in the Republic of Kazakhstan (UNDP) has launched a tender process for consultants interested in providing financial advisory services for the Almaty Light Rail Train (LRT) system PPP project.

The advisory services involves the preparation of the public private partnership tender process for the LTR project.

The project cost is estimated at US$300 million.

The LTR system project will cover the construction of about 14 kilometres of light rail tracks to replace the existing tram route and will also finance new rolling stock and equipment.

The future light rail, also known as fast tram, will be faster and cheaper to build than a metro and will serve as the backbone of the rest of the surface public transport system in the city. This project will be the first major public-private partnership (PPP) transaction in urban transport to be launched in Kazakhstan.

The tender for financial advisory services was launched on 30 May 2014. Interested parties must submit their proposals on or before 18:00 local time July 1, 2014.

In mid-November 2012 the EBRD and the City of Almaty signed a MOU to support the project as a PPP. The EBRD will seek grants to cover costs for legal and technical advisers to assist the city of Almaty with drafting PPP documents.