Construction has started on Kazakhstan's first light rail system, which is being built by Chinese companies in the country's capital Astana, reports CCTV.com.

 

中央电视台报道，哈萨克斯坦首条轻轨系统在首都阿斯塔纳开工，这项工程由中国公司承建。

 

It's due to be completed in 2018 with an overall investment of 1.887 billion US dollars.

 

Using cutting-edge driverless trains, the 22-mile rail link will connect the airport with a new railway station in the city center and is expected to shorten commuting¹ times by half on completion.

 

Construction is being carried out by Chinese companies including the China Railway NO.2 Group Co. Ltd., and the China Construction 6th Engineering Division Corp. Ltd, according to Chinese standards, and employing local staff.

 

The companies have had to meet the challenges of building the rail project in the extremely low temperatures of the Astana winter, during which temperatures plummet² to minus 50 degrees Celsius³.

 

Commenting on the project, Han Huimin, from the China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) said Chinese engineers had carried out special experiments beforehand in China to make sure all the equipment will be able to withstand the extremely low temperatures in the Kazakh capital.

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