French rolling stock manufacturing giant Alstom has opened its first bogie centre in Kazakhstan after a €15m ($16.28m) investment.
The 8,000m² centre in Astana will have a nominal capacity of producing 200 bogies a year and overhauling another 300 for all types of railway vehicles.
Kanat Alpysbayev, Alstom’s managing director in Western and Central Asia, said: “This state-of-the-art facility has been established as a result of Alstom’s industrialisation development in Kazakhstan.
“Our bogie centre plays a crucial role in providing full maintenance for Alstom freight and passenger locomotives over a 25-year period. With a full range of innovative equipment and services, we are happy to support Kazakhstan’s mobility as a trusted partner.”
Alongside producing brand-new frameworks, the centre will also be able to overhaul Alstom and non-Alstom bogie subcomponents, including wheelset and damper repair, non-destructive inspection, 3D measuring, wheelset and motor testing and other digital manufacturing processes.
The opening of the centre comes after the company signed an agreement with the Kazakhstan Government at the end of 2022 promising to expand its presence in the country, with the bogie centre forming one part of a €50m investment into its operations there.
Alstom first began operating in Kazakhstan in 2010 and has since established 11 sites in 6 cities, including two other production sites building electric locomotives, also in Astana and point machines, in Almaty.
The company also has four service depots, two troubleshooting areas, a repair centre and corporate offices in the country.
Earlier this month, Alstom also celebrated signing a €285m contract with the Connecticut Department of Transportation in the US for the supply of 60 single-level rail coach cars for the state’s rail network.
