View source for Kazakhstan Temir Zholy

{{Infobox company 
| name = Kazakhstan Temir Zholy
| logo = [[File:Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.svg|center|240px]]
| type = [[Joint-stock company]]
| foundation = 1997
| location = [[Astana]], [[Kazakhstan]]
| key_people = [[Askar Mamin]] (chairman)
| area_served = Kazakhstan
| industry = [[Transport]]
| products = 
| revenue = [[Kazakhstani tenge|KZT]] 11 billion (2009)
| operating_income = {{profit}} [[Kazakhstani tenge|KZT]] 145,8 billion (2012)
| net_income = {{profit}} [[Kazakhstani tenge|KZT]] 113,3 billion (2012)
| num_employees = 155,134 (2012)
| parent = [[Samruk-Kazyna]]
| subsid = 
| homepage = [http://www.railways.kz www.railways.kz]
| footnotes =
}}
'''Kazakhstan Temir Zholy'''  ('''KTZ'''; {{lang-kz|Қазақстан Темiр Жолы (ҚТЖ)}}), also '''National Company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy''',  is the national [[railway]] company of [[Kazakhstan]].

==Owners and management==
100% of KTZ's shares are owned by the state through the [[Samruk-Kazyna]] fund.
Adamas Ilkyavichyus<ref>[http://kazworld.info/?p=57256 Kazakhstan Temir Zholy Appointed New Head Of The Board Of Directors]</ref> - Chairman of the Board of Directors JSC "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" - Kazakhstan National Railways, Member of the Modernisation / Transformation Board.
[[Askar_Mamin]] - Management Board of "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" JSC.

==Organization==
Founded by the government in 2002 as a [[joint stock company]] KTZ’s task is to develop, operate, and maintain railway transportation in Kazakhstan. It is headquartered in [[Astana]]. Related stock companies own the [[rolling stock]], the hauling equipment, and the passenger transport division. Repair facilities have been privatized. Private companies may own or rent rolling stock that can use the rail system.

==Network==
[[Image:Ж транспорт Казахстан (2).svg|thumb|350 px|Network]]
The current rail network is based on the inheritance from the former [[Soviet Union]] and as such has a [[Russian gauge|broad gauge]] of {{Track gauge|1520mm|lk=on}}. While this provides a smooth transit at international borders to countries of the former Soviet Union, the railway in [[China]] has the [[standard gauge]] of {{Track gauge|1435mm|lk=on}}; thus there is a [[break-of-gauge]] at [[Dostyk]] and at [[Khorgas]]/Altynkol.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/projects-infrastructure/single-view/view/second-china-kazakh-link-inaugurated.html|accessdate=24 December 2012|title=Second China – Kazakh link inaugurated |newspaper=[[Railway Gazette International]]}}</ref>

KTZ  controls about {{convert|15,000|km|mi|abbr=on}} track (2005) which is being expanded. The Kazakhstan sections of the old [[Trans-Aral Railway]], the [[Trans-Caspian railway]], and the [[Turkestan-Siberia Railway]] have been incorporated into the KTZ. 3000&nbsp;km are electrified at 25 kV 50&nbsp;Hz AC.

==Operation==
KTZ is the largest employer in Kazakhstan with about 143,000 employees (2008).<ref name=cb>CBonds: [http://www.cbonds.info/all/eng/news/index.phtml/params/id/454393 Moody's places KTZ's and Kaztemirtrans' ratings on review for possible downgrade]</ref> It manages over 80,000 wagons, 50,000 of them state-owned, and the remainder in private hands. While most of the hauling is done by diesel engines, electrification of track is an ongoing project. The company is profitable and its 2008 revenues were 483.8 billion [[Kazakhstani tenge]] (US$3.9 billion).<ref name=cb/>

Kazakhstan has started to build wagons for KTZ and is expected to produce engines in conjunction with GE in 2008.<ref>[http://www.ge.com/ru/en/ourCompany/releases/20060516.html GE connection]</ref>

==Infrastructure investment initiatives==
Temir Zholy is a principal implementer of Kazakhstan’s New Silk Road Initiative and [[Kazakhstan#.22Nurly Zhol.22 economic policy|Nurly Zhol]] new economic policy.<ref name=TZnurly>{{cite web|title=FEZ "Khorgos Eastern Gate" - a perspective distribution center of world level|url=http://www.railways.kz/en/node/9930|publisher=Temir Zholy}}</ref>

===Khorgos-Eastern Gate===
The FEZ "Khorgos-Eastern Gate" is a logistics center for the distribution of cargo flows on the New Silk Road, and further integrates Kazakhstan into the global transport and trade system, particularly between China and the European Union.<ref name=TZnurly/>

== The TransKazakhstanTrunk Railways project ==
[[Image:E7848-Shu-junction.jpg|thumb|At the [[Shu, Jambyl|Shu]] Junction]]
The potential of Kazakhstan to act as a transit in the trade between China, Europe, and even the eastern coast of America, as envisioned in the [[Trans-Asian Railway]] proposal, has not yet been fulfilled. Current rail transport between China and Europe as part of the [[Eurasian Land Bridge]] goes over the [[Trans-Siberian railway]], is lengthy, and requires [[bogie exchange]]s.

KTZ is engaging on a major railroad project to link China and [[Southeast Asia]] to Europe for a length of {{Convert|2400|mi|km|0}}. Currently the plan is to run the railway through [[Turkmenistan]] to [[Iran]]; Iran is linked to Turkey and Europe's standard gauge system<ref>[http://courses.wcupa.edu/rbove/eco343/040Compecon/Soviet/Kazakh/040723rail.txt TKTR project]</ref> In May 2013, a new rail link opened between [[Uzen, Kazakhstan|Uzen]] (Kazakhstan) and [[Serhetyaka]] (Turkmenistan), crossing the border at [[Bolashak]]. The railway is 146&nbsp;km long and cost 65bn tenge. The railway is Russian gauge; there would be a break of gauge when the railway reaches the Iranian border.<ref name="railwaygazette">{{cite news|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/projects-infrastructure/single-view/view/presidents-open-kazakhstan-to-turkmenistan-rail-link.html|accessdate=20 May 2013|title=Presidents open Kazakhstan to Turkmenistan rail link |newspaper=[[Railway Gazette International]]}}</ref>

Construction for the new line will start at the eastern border town of [[Dostyk|Druzhba]] to go to [[Aktau]] on the Caspian Sea.  Construction is expected to start in 2006 and take four years. The total cost of the project is  $5–7 billion.<ref>[http://www.caspianinfo.org/story.php?id=336 TKTR project]</ref>  A link from Aktau to Iran is also required.

The transport corridor through Kazakhstan has the potential to provide a railway-ship link between China and the east coast of North America through the Northern East West  corridor.<ref>*[http://www.uic.asso.fr/download.php/world/NEW_report_2004.pdf  Northern East West Corridor]</ref>

=== Railway links with adjacent countries ===
* [[Rail transport in Russia|Russia]] - same gauge (former Soviet Union railway system)
* [[Rail transport in the People's Republic of China|China]] - [[break of gauge]] {{Track gauge|1520mm}}/{{Track gauge|sg}}; border stations at [[Dostyk|Druzhba]] (connecting to [[Alashankou]] on the [[Lanxin railway]]) and at [[Korgas]].
* [[Rail transport in Kyrgyzstan|Kyrgyzstan]] - same gauge (former Soviet Union railway system)
* [[Rail transport in Uzbekistan|Uzbekistan]] - same gauge (former Soviet Union railway system)
* [[Rail transport in Turkmenistan|Turkmenistan]] - new rail link opened in 2013.<ref name="railwaygazette" />

==Rolling stock==
In October 2010, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy ordered 295 [[Alstom KZ8A|KZ8A]] electric locomotives from [[Alstom]], for both freight and passenger services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/kazakhstan-signs-contract-for-295-alstom-tmh-locomotives.html|accessdate=2010-10-31|title=Railway Gazette: Kazakhstan signs contract for 295 Alstom-TMH locomotives}}</ref> On October 3, the first train of this order was delivered during an official ceremony. While the first 10 pre-series of KZ8A locomotives are being manufactured at Alstom’s Belfort facility, the remaining will be built in [[Astana]], in the new Alstom plant in Kazakhstan which will be inaugurated on December 12, 2012. Besides, on October 8, 2012, KTZ signed its first maintenance contract with Alstom for the full maintenance, major overhaul and modernization of 27 passenger locomotives KZ4AC for a period of 25 years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Alstom Signs a First Maintenance Contract for the Kazakh Railways KTZ|url=http://www.satrapia.com/news/article/alstom-signs-a-first-maintenance-contract-for-the-kazakh-railways-ktz/|newspaper=The Gazette of Central Asia|date=8 October 2012|publisher=Satrapia}}</ref>

In November 2010, KTZ awarded [[Talgo]] a contract to replace its fleet of 3000 intercity vehicles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.railjournal.com/newsflash/talgo-to-renew-kazakh-coach-fleet.html|accessdate=2010-11-14|title=Talgo to renew Kazakh coach fleet |date=2010-11-14|journal=International Railway Journal}}</ref>

<gallery>
KTZ KZ4A Chokpar.jpg|KZ4A
KTZ VL80 Chokpar.jpg|VL80
KTZ TE33A portrait.jpg|[[TE33A]] "GE Evolution"
KTZ 2TE10U Aynabulak.jpg|2TE10U with train 22 Kyzylorda - Semipalatinsk
KTZ CKD6E Kapchagay.jpg|CKD6E
KTZ TEM2 Tamara Chokpar.jpg|TEM2 "Tamara"
</gallery>

==High-speed railway project==
{{main|High-speed rail in Kazakhstan}}

In the early 2010s, a project for building a high-speed railway between Astana and Almaty was actively discussed by the Kazakh and Chinese officials. However, in 2013 the project was postponed due to high cost.<ref>[http://www.inform.kz/eng/article/2602067 Kazakhstan postpones construction of new high-speed railway], 2013-11-02</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Narrow gauge railways in Kazakhstan]]
* [[Transport in Kazakhstan]]
* [[Tengri Unitrade CARGO]]
* [[North-South Transport Corridor]]
* [[Ashgabat agreement]], a [[Multimodal transport]] agreement signed by [[India]], [[Oman]], [[Iran]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Uzbekistan]] and [[Kazakhstan]], for creating an [[Transport corridor|international transport and transit corridor]] facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf.<ref>[http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Hans-Classroom/2016-03-24/Ashgabat-Agreement/215932 The Hans India - India accedes to Ashgabat agreement]</ref>

== References ==

<references/>

== External links ==
{{commons category|Qazaqstan Temir Zholy}}
* {{Official website|http://www.railways.kz|KTZ official website}}
* [http://www.cemt.org/topics/rail/Paris05/Kazakhstan.pdf Report on KTZ]
* [http://www.unitedworld-usa.com/reports/kazakhstan/interview03.asp Interview with Chairman of KTZ]
* [http://www.unescap.org/ttdw/common/TIS/TAR/report_full_23Nov04.pdf UN report on Trans Asian Railway]
*Maps
** {{cite web|url=http://www.parovoz.com/maps/KTZ.gif|title=Railway map (Russian)|archiveurl=http://archive.is/CxKDQ|archivedate=31 Jan 2013}} (incomplete coverage)
**[http://wwwnotes.reliefweb.int/w/fullMaps_Sa.nsf/luFullMap/D27D9AFFF5B6812A85256A23006DE977/$File/kazak.pdf?OpenElement UNJLC map] (incomplete coverage)
**{{cite web|url=http://parovoz.com/maps/supermap/|title=Interactive map of Railways of Kazakhstan|archiveurl=http://archive.is/b1Fmq|archivedate=4 Jan 2013}} Detailed map ''pavaroz.com''
** [http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/map/profile/kazakhst.pdf UN map]

{{National railway companies of Europe}}
{{Asia in topic|Rail transport in}}
{{Rail transport in Europe}}

[[Category:2002 establishments in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Companies based in Astana]]
[[Category:Railway companies of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Government-owned companies of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Railway companies established in 2002]]
[[Category:Kazakhstani brands]]