Kazakhstan's railways improve safety but face persistent violations in 2025

Kazakhstan’s railways have shown improvements in safety, ranking second among CIS countries for transport security. However, 2025 still saw a number of incidents and violations across the network. Last year, 247 rail incidents occurred on privately owned sidings. Another 69 involved the operation of foreign freight cars. Pedestrian collisions also remained a concern, with 67 recorded cases, including 35 fatalities.

The number of pedestrian collisions has fallen by 24% since 2020. Most were caused by public violations of safety rules. Overall, 90% of safety breaches in 2025 involved other participants in the transportation process.

Poor-quality locomotive repairs and maintenance by service providers accounted for 469 violations. NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC was responsible for 10% of all rail transport incidents in 2025, a decrease from 17% in 2020. The national company has pledged to cut its own violation rates further. It also aims to improve the reliability of rail operations. These steps are part of ongoing efforts to enhance safety across Kazakhstan’s railway system.