In December, Alstom (
www.alstom.com) signed an agreement with the Kazakh national railway company (KTZ) to acquire the latter’s 25% stake in the joint venture company EKZ, which builds locomotives for the Kazakh rail network.
After approval by the relevant authorities, Alstom’s total share will be 75%. The agreement was signed by KTZ vice-president Maksat Kabashev and Didier Pfleger, Alstom’s vice-president forthe Middle East and Africa.
Alstom entered Kazakhstan’s railway market in June 2010, together with its Russian partner Transmashholding (TMH), by laying the first stone of the EKZ facility in Astana.
EKZ was initially owned by Alstom (25%), TMH (25%) and Kazakh Railways (50%); it had a contract for the supply of 200 Prima T8 and 95 Prima M4 locomotives.
The plant was opened in 2012; in 2016, Alstom bought another 25% from KTZ. The freight locomotives are now fully assembled at EKZ, and the full assembly of passenger locos will start early this year.
Mr Pfleger said: “By increasing once again Alstom’s share in EKZ, we show our confidence in the attractiveness of Kazakhstan, and we contribute to the development of new expertise and skills locally — to address not only Kazakhstan’s needs but also regional ones.”
Kazakhstan is an important hub linking Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Russia through the new Silk Way.
With almost 20,000km of tracks, the Kazakh railway network is the world’s third-biggest using the 1,520mm track gauge.
Besides wide and ‘winterised’ rolling stock that can run in temperatures as low as -50°C, this market is “characterised by very specific technical standards that require adapted engineering solutions”.