Kazakhstan continues to strengthen its reputation as one of the most attractive markets in Central Asia for European business. A clear confirmation of this trend is a large-scale project by Swiss manufacturer Stadler Rail, which will produce nearly 600 modern sleeping cars for night trains. The total value of the contract exceeds CHF 2 billion - around USD 2.5 billion, DKNews.kz reports.
Production is underway at Stadler Rail’s plant in Astana. Today, around 400 employees work here in shifts, almost around the clock, to deliver one of the largest railway orders in the region.
A factory rebuilt almost from scratch
According to Philipp Brunner, head of Stadler Rail’s Central European division, the Astana facility had to be essentially rebuilt.
We took control of the plant and completely transformed it in line with Stadler’s production standards, from manufacturing processes to quality control systems, he says.
This is not Stadler’s first experience in the post-Soviet space. The company previously operated a plant in Belarus but had to withdraw after Western sanctions were imposed on Russia and Belarus following the war against Ukraine. However, that experience proved valuable. Some specialists were relocated from near Minsk to Kazakhstan, while the Astana plant is now managed by a Belarusian national who has worked with Brunner for more than 12 years.
Railways as part of a broader national strategy
The order placed with Stadler Rail is no coincidence. In recent years, Kazakhstan has been actively modernising its railway infrastructure, with a strong focus on passenger comfort and long-distance mobility. Night trains remain particularly popular on extended routes.
The first Stadler-built sleeping cars are expected to enter service soon on the Astana-Almaty route, which takes around 14 hours. For passengers, this means a noticeably higher level of comfort - modern compartments, improved sound insulation, climate control systems and European safety standards.
Bern deepens economic ties with Kazakhstan
The Stadler Rail project fits into a broader context of strengthening economic relations between Kazakhstan and Switzerland. According to Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), Switzerland ranks third among foreign investors in Kazakhstan.
Around 40 Swiss companies are currently operating in the country, and that number is expected to grow. Against this backdrop, Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin recently visited Astana to attend the Swiss-Kazakh Business Forum.
Addressing Kazakh ministers, business leaders and lobbyists, Parmelin stressed the importance of direct dialogue.
For Bern, it is essential to receive first-hand feedback from companies on challenges on the ground, so that framework conditions for Swiss business can be improved where necessary, he said.
Interest goes well beyond rail transport
Swiss interest in Kazakhstan is not limited to railways. Bartholet, a company specialising in cable car systems, sees significant potential in southern Kazakhstan, both in tourism infrastructure and in urban transport projects.
The pharmaceutical sector is also active. Swiss-based Roche has expanded its presence in Kazakhstan, with medicines produced in Switzerland now being packaged locally. This reflects government requirements to ensure that part of the added value is created within the country.
Economists note that Kazakhstan is increasingly drawing the attention of Western investors due to its geographic position. The country borders both Russia and China, and sanctions against Moscow have made transit routes through Kazakhstan more attractive. At the same time, Kazakh authorities stress that the country’s largest trading partners remain the United States and the European Union.
A calculated risk
The Stadler Rail plant in Astana was also visited by the company’s chairman Peter Spuhler, alongside the Swiss economy minister. Asked whether the Kazakh operation could face the same fate as the former Belarus plant, Spuhler was frank.
Any entrepreneurial activity involves risk. The key is that it must be a calculated risk, he said.
According to him, the situation in Kazakhstan is fundamentally different.
The geopolitical environment has changed in recent years, but in Kazakhstan we see stability and clear rules of the game, Spuhler noted.
A strong signal to global investors
The Stadler Rail project is more than just a story about new railway cars. It sends a clear signal to international business that Kazakhstan is ready to host complex industrial projects, provide conditions for localisation and integrate into global value chains.
As the first Stadler night trains soon depart from Astana towards Almaty, they may well be followed by a new wave of European investment into the country.
