LRT Almaty has announced that nine consortiums submitted qualification documents and technical proposals for the design, development, construction, commissioning, financing, operation and maintenance of the infrastructure, rolling stock and services for a new light rail transit (LRT) system in the city, located in the south-east of Kazakhstan.

The LRT will consist of 37 stations along a 22.7km double track operating over one of the city’s principal avenues. It is expected to carry between 76,000 and 112,000 passengers a day, with trains arriving every four minutes during peak hours on weekdays. The total estimated construction cost is KZT91.245 billion (US$243.7 million). 

The nine interested consortiums are the following:

1.  CMC China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation and CRCC16 China Railway 16^th Bureau Group Co, Ltd.

2. Marubeni Corporation, Alstom Kazakhstan LLP, Gulermak and Meridiam

3. SC «Renaissance Construction» and «PK Тransport Systems», Ltd.

4. CRBE China Railway Beijing Engineering Group Co., Ltd Overseas Company and CRL China Railway Liuyuan Group Co., Ltd

5. Itochu Corporation, CAF and Makyol

6. ТОО «Теміржол жөндеу», CITIC China International Trust Investment Corporation and CCECC China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd.

7. ENKA

8. Norinko

9. CMEC China Machinery Engineering Corporation, CHSR China High Speed Railway Technology Co. Ltd. and CRCC22 China Railway 22^th Bureau Group Co, Ltd.

Within these consortia are representatives of Japan, France, Russia, Turkey, Spain, China and Kazakhstan, indicating the international reach of the tender.

The Public Transport Department of Almaty will shortly issue a shortlist of companies invited to participate in the second stage of the competition. No schedule has been published for the tender process or the construction of the LRT, so it is unclear when the next tender phase will be launched or the contract awarded.