If you are planning a trip to Astana, Nurly Zhol Central Railway Station is the right place to start exploring the city. It is a modern transportation hub opened in 2017 for EXPO-2017. It has become the main railroad hub of the capital of Kazakhstan, serving both high-speed and suburban trains. The building impresses with its architecture and functionality, offering passengers comfort and convenience at a high level.
History and architecture of the station
Construction of Astana's Nurly Zhol railway station began in preparation for EXPO-2017 and was completed in May 2017. The station was designed by the Turkish architectural company Tabanlıoğlu Architects and was internationally recognized for its innovative design.
The building is a six-level curved structure in a modern style. Astana Railway Station is painted in steel gray shades. It is decorated with a huge inscription with the name. The railroad adjoins the station from the north side. In front of the building is a large square with trees and greenery. On the diagonals are parking lots and entrances to the transport platform.
The throughput capacity of Astana railway station is 35 thousand people. The area is more than 100 thousand m². The area of the parking lot is 70 thousand m². Trains arrive on the third floor, which provides convenient boarding and disembarkation of passengers. The station is equipped with modern video surveillance and security systems.
Infrastructure of Astana railway station
Passengers have access to:
- 6 railroad tracks;
- Waiting rooms, including VIP-zones;
- Luggage storage rooms;
- Mother and child rooms;
- Medical center;
- Escalators and elevators for ease of travel.
Passenger Services
Ticket offices are located on the 1st and 4th floors of Nurly Zhol station. Electronic boards and information stands help to navigate through train schedules. Free Wi-Fi and rest areas are available.
The waiting area is on the 4th floor with stores, cafes and a large glass window to watch the trains that arrive on the 3rd floor. On the 5th floor are many commercial spaces and a namazhana prayer room.
Transport accessibility
Astana's Nurly Zhol Station at Mynzhyldyk Lane is located in the south-eastern part of the city. At the main entrance there is a stop of public transportation, so it is easy to get here by city bus routes.
- Bus #2: Nurly Zhol Railway Station - Koktal Park.
- Bus #3 and bus #21: Nurly Zhol Railway Station - Astana-1 Railway Station.
- Bus #11: Kirpichny Railway Station - Nurly Zhol Railway Station.
- Bus № 14: Railway station Astana-1 - LCD "Elbrus".
- Bus #21: Astana-1 Railway Station - Nurly Zhol Railway Station.
- Bus #32: Bolashak - "Elbrus" Residential Complex.
- Bus #48: Railway station "Nurly Zhol" - Railway station Astana-1.
- Bus #50: Residential Complex "Koktem" - Promyshlenny zh/m.
- Bus #57: Nurly Zhol Railway Station - Ak Didar Residential Complex.
- Bus #60: Railway station "Nurly Zhol" - Hypermarket "Stroymart".
- Bus #66: street E-591 - "Nurly Zhol" railway station.
- Bus #503: "Astanainert" - "Nurly Zhol" railway station - Koktal Park.
You can reach the city center by cab or bus in 15-20 minutes, depending on the traffic. Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport is about 15 km from the station. It will take about 20-25 minutes by cab. You can get to the Saparzhay bus station by bus number 3.
The station offers a two-level covered parking lot for 740 cars and an open parking lot for 792 spaces. There are also areas for cab passengers to board and disembark.
Contact information
Astana Central Railway Station is located at the address: Astana, Mynzhyldyk Lane. And here is some more useful information that you may find useful:
- Help Desk: 105 (24-hour unified information desk).
- Official website: www.railways.kz
- Online scoreboard: tablo-railways.kz
- Opening hours of ticket offices: round the clock
Online ticket purchase: available through the official website and mobile application.
Mobile application: the "KTZ" application (or "KTZ Railway Tickets") is available for iOS and Android, allowing you to book tickets, check schedules and get up-to-date information.
Trains and destinations
The following trains arrive and depart at Astana's Nurly Zhol Central Railway Station:
- Fast trains to Almaty, Defensa (Yertis branded train), Arkalyk, Kustanai and Shymkent.
- Fast trains to Almaty (firm train "Baiterek"), Atyrau (firm train "Caspiy"), Dostyk, Uralsk and Shymkent.
- Seasonal trains to Almaty and Turkestan.
- Regular passenger trains to Semipalatinsk.
- High-speed trains "Tulpar Talgo" to Shymkent.
- Regional trains to Petropavlovsk, Arkalyk and Aysary.
- Suburban trains to Atbasar, Kokshetau and Volodarskoye.
- Transit express trains to Semipalatinsk.
Tips for travelers
It is recommended to arrive at the Astana Railway Station address 30-40 minutes before train departure, especially if you need to drop off luggage or buy tickets. During peak hours and holidays, the station can be especially busy, so plan your arrival in advance.
Astana Station
Another major Astana railway station or Astana-1 station is located at Wolfgang Goethe Street. Until 2017, it was the main and central railway station of Astana.
The first train to the then Akmolinsk arrived on November 8, 1929 - from this moment and began the history of the railway station. Already in 1931 the first station appeared here: a two-storey building designed for 380 passengers. For that time - quite solid.
With the appearance of a new railway line Akmolinsk - Kartaly in 1939, the city became a real transportation hub. It became the administrative center of the Tselinny region, which included six regions of Northern Kazakhstan.
The development was rapid - and in 1961 the old building was replaced by a new, multifunctional station. It was designed for 500 people and was considered the largest in Kazakhstan. In 1962 the station was renamed - since then it was called Tselinograd. In 1964, the building was renovated again: a ticket office and rest rooms were added.
In 1990, another major facility appeared - a new high-rise building of the station. Its capacity increased to 1,800 people. Since 2001, the station was named Astana and still remained the central railway station.
In 2004, there was a large-scale reconstruction, and the hall became more spacious by another 300 seats, and the average daily passenger traffic reached 5.2 thousand people. In 2019, when the city was called Nur-Sultan, the station was renamed Nur-Sultan-1, and the new station was called "Astana Nurly Zhol". In 2024, everything went back to normal.
