The Astana Light Metro (Tarlan Astana) is a light metro system located in Astana, Kazakhstan, which is the capital of the country with a population of over 1.6 million. The system was officially opened on 16 May 2026, and renamed to Tarlan Astana on 2 July 2026.
History
The initial plan was termed "LRT", yet images show light metro trains. Construction should have finished roughly about the same time as the Almaty Metro, which was estimated for 2010. However, completion was postponed several times, in 2011 completion was scheduled to coincide with Expo 2017 and by October 2017 the first stage was planned to be commissioned in December 2019. Project authority Astana LRT LLP signed an agreement with a consortium of China Railway International Group (subsidiary of China Railway Group Limited) and Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co for construction of the first phase of the capital's urban rail project on 7 May 2015. Construction began in May 2017.
The light metro is part of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev's Kazakhstan 2030 economic plan to transform Kazakhstan into an economic power.
Video renders of the proposed system show the lines built on viaducts running adjacent to roads, with enclosed stations offering heating and ventilation systems to protect passengers from the extreme weather variations in the city.
The Chinese company constructing the project went bankrupt in early 2019, causing the city government to order an indefinite suspension of the project. The half-built remnants of the project became a prominent symbol of corruption within the country.
In 2023, construction restarted and the system was planned to open by 2024-2025. In 2024, it was clarified that the system was planned to open in 2025, later postponed to May 2026. The Astana light metro will feature ground and elevated stations, with 18 stations spanning a total length of 22.4 kilometers. It will also launch 19 units of rolling stock, each capable of carrying 652 passengers. In 2025, the first trains from CRRC Tangshan were delivered.
On 16 May 2026, the Astana LRT was opened.Kazakhstan opens its first automated metro Tramways & Urban Transit issue 1063 July 2026 page 247
Line 1 The North-South route links Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport with Astana-Nurly Zhol station via the modern "Left Bank" area of the city center. The line has 18 stops and one depot. Capacity is estimated to be 146,000 people per day.哈萨克斯坦首都阿斯塔纳轨道交通构想 - Ministry of Commerce, PRC
A total of 19 trains run on the line at average intervals of 4–5 minutes. Each train has a capacity of 652 passengers.
In August 2025, the Astana City Administration approved the final names for Line 1 stations. Previously, all stations were numbered from 101 to 118, with the first digit indicating the line and the other digits numbering the stations in sequential order, starting from the Airport station. +Station numberStation nameStation name (Kazakh)101AirportӘуежай / Äuejai102AtamekenАтамекен / Atameken103YesilЕсіл / Esıl104Mangilik ElМәңгілік ел / Mäñgılık el105Astana ZhuldyzyАстана жұлдызы / Astana jūldyzy106NuraНұра / Nūra107UniversityУниверситет / Universitet108Uly DalaҰлы дала / Ūly dala109Astana ArenaАстана Арена / Astana Arena110Martial Arts PalaceЖекпе-жек сарайы / Jekpe-jek saraiy111SyganakСығанақ / Syğanaq112BaiterekБәйтерек / Bäyterek113House of MinistriesМинистрліктер үйі / Minisrtrlıkter üiı114National MuseumҰлттық Мұражай / Ūlttyq Mūrajai115TheatreТеатр / Teatr116Myngzhyldyk AlleyМыңжылдық аллеясы / Myñjyldyq alleiasy117Zhibek ZholyЖібек жолы / Jıbek joly118Nurly ZholНұрлы жол / Nūrly jol
Further phases Phase 2 An extension to Qosshy is currently under construction.
Future plans (part of phase 2) could also extend the metro to Astana-1 station and the Zhagalau residential district.
See also Almaty Metro List of rapid transit systems
References