Kazakhstan, France expanding partnership in development of railways
In particular, the companies signed the Memorandum of Cooperation in thefield of development of digital technologies for railway signaling,centralization and blocking.
During the visit, the Minister of Economy and Finance of France inspectedthe manufacturing workshops of Electrovoz Kurastyru Zauyty (Electric Locomotives Assembly Factory). LocomotiveZ8A0008 manufactured under an agreement with Azerbaijan Railways was shown tohim. According to the agreement, 50 locomotives will be manufactured for AzerbaijanRailways.
«This factory is the most visible evidence of economic cooperationbetween Kazakhstan and France. Partnership in the development of railways is a crucial strategic direction for our country. It is my privilege to attend the ceremonyof dispatching a locomotive to be exported to Azerbaijan. We intend to continueour railway partnership, in the field of manufacturing of passenger and freightlocomotives and in the field of signaling. There are signaling projects ofutmost importance for us. We would like Alstom to have the opportunity to equipKazakhstan’s railway stations with signaling systems,» Bruno Le Maire commentedon the signing of the memorandum
The memorandum targets the development of digitaltechnology in the field of railway signaling systems so that to introduce customizedengineering solutions when modernizing the systems at the top-priority railwaystations by the Center for Digital Signaling Competencies, which is planned tobe created in Kazakhstan in the future.
«The memorandum signed between Alstom and KTZ ismainly aimed at cooperation in the field of digitization and automation of railwaytransport processes. The first step is automation or signaling at major stationswith a hundred or more switches. In the future, we will cooperate on railwaytransport digitization. As you know, several projects of our company wereincluded in the Digital Kazakhstan Government Program,» said Batyr Kotyrev, ManagingDirector - Chief Engineer of NC KTZ.
The document was signed by Kanat Almagambetov, FirstDeputy Chairman of NC KTZ, and Didier Pfleger, Senior Vice-President of Alstom forthe Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia.
It is to be recalled that French Minister of Economyand Finance Bruno Le Maire arrived in Nur-Sultan for a working visit. Today heis expected to hold talks with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.