In Astana, LRT will be built according to the “cross” scheme – the government updated the capital's Master Plan

Tengrinews.kz — Astana's General Plan has been updated. The government has approved the new version and the corresponding decree. How the LRT will be built, the city's projected population in 10 years, future housing market trends, and residential space per capita — all in this report by Tengrinews.kz.
The future of LRT construction
Specialists considered 10 different options for building Astana's LRT with a vision extending to 2050. The optimal route was selected based on line length, projected passenger traffic, and estimated travel times.
Ultimately, the "cross" configuration was preferred. The plan envisions lines running along major corridors with the highest passenger density, designed to intersect and cover the city's key hubs.

"The rolling stock for the Tarlan Astana lines is planned to have a capacity of 650 passengers. By 2035, three routes may be organized under the Tarlan Astana system, requiring 16 units of rolling stock for service," the document states.

Note: The General Plan is the primary document defining the city's development over the next 10–20 years. It pre-allocates space for new residential areas, roads, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, parks, and public transport lines. Furthermore, the General Plan establishes functional zoning, determining where high-rise buildings are permitted, where private housing will be preserved, and where industrial enterprises will be located. The document also accounts for projected population growth to ensure the city has sufficient housing, educational and medical facilities, roads, and other essential infrastructure.
Road network to nearly double
By 2035, Astana's street and road network is expected to undergo major changes. According to the document,

the length of main thoroughfares will increase 1.7 times, rising from the current 528 kilometers to 923.5 km.
By 2035, the density of main highways will increase to 2.6 km/km², while the total road network density will reach 5.7 km/km².

In the long term, 69 new interchanges will be added to the existing 23:

8 interchanges will be built by 2030,
and another 22 interchanges will be constructed between 2030 and 2035.

Population projections for Astana
According to the document, approximately 1.5 million people currently live within Astana's administrative boundaries. The capital's population is expected to grow to approximately 1.97 million by 2030 and reach 2.28 million by 2035.
The General Plan also notes that Astana will maintain its status as a young and dynamically developing city. It is projected that by 2035, nearly 60 percent of the capital's residents will be of working age.
The future of public transport
The General Plan indicates that population growth will lead to a near-doubling of public transport trips by 2035. To ensure the transport system can handle the increased load, several measures have been outlined.
By 2035, public transport is expected to carry up to 1.5 million passengers per day. The total capacity of buses and rail cars is planned to increase to 180,000 seats, with occupancy levels maintained within standard limits, not exceeding a "four-point" load factor (avoiding critical overcrowding).
Astana to launch urban rail service
The General Plan proposes utilizing the railway for urban and suburban travel. For instance, the railway is intended to be integrated into the city's transport system (similar to an overground metro).
Four new stations are planned:

No. 1: At the exit toward Karaganda (as part of the Karaganda hub).
No. 2: At the intersection with Mustafin Street.
No. 3: At the intersection with Pushkin Street.
No. 4: At the intersection with Bogenbay Batyr Avenue.

According to the General Plan, intra-city electric trains will be able to transport up to 16,300 passengers per day by 2035. To achieve this, the plan involves launching approximately five trains, each with a capacity of up to 500 people.
To increase the demand for this mode of transport, the city plans to organize convenient bus routes to railway stations, ensure comfortable departure intervals, and develop residential and commercial real estate within a two-kilometer radius of the stations.
Transport Interchange Hubs (TIH): Key details
According to the document, Astana plans to develop transport interchange hubs (TIH), where passengers can conveniently switch between different modes of transport.
A total of nine such hubs are planned for the city. They will allow residents to leave their private vehicles behind or transfer from suburban transport to the city's public transit network, including LRT, trams, buses, and commuter trains.
The transport hubs are slated to be located at the Astana and Nurly Zhol railway stations, the airport, and at city entrances from Karaganda, Pavlodar, Kokshetau, Kostanay, Korgalzhyn, and the southern direction.
Each hub is expected to integrate stations for various modes of transport, park-and-ride facilities where drivers can switch to public transit, as well as bicycle parking and electric vehicle charging stations.
In addition, the project includes two bus terminals—one of which is the existing Astana bus station—and four bus stations serving suburban routes.
The document notes that the core of these transport hubs will be formed by Tarlan Astana rapid transit lines, railways, and trams. These will be positioned at intersections with major city entrances to ensure maximum convenience for transferring passengers.
Housing, demolition, and social facilities: How Astana will change under the General Plan
The capital's General Plan defines not only population growth but also where people will live and which areas are slated for demolition.
Housing stock and new square meters
As of January 1, 2025, Astana's housing stock totals 36.7 million m², of which 87.3 percent is comprised of apartment buildings. Currently, there is approximately 24 m² of living space per resident.
By 2030, authorities aim to increase the provision level to 26.2 m² per person, with the total housing stock growing to 51.5 million m².
The target for 2035 is 30 m² per person. To achieve this, the city's total housing stock must nearly double to 68.3 million m².
A total of 33.3 million m² of new housing is planned for construction, with 15.3 million m² to be completed by 2030. While built-up areas accounted for 14.2 percent of the city's territory in 2025, this figure is expected to rise to 37 percent by 2035.
Demolition of dilapidated housing and summer cottages
To facilitate urban development, Astana expects to demolish condemned and dilapidated housing, summer cottages (dachas), garages, and low-rise buildings to make way for new construction.
The total volume of demolition is 1.71 million m² of housing (484,000 m² of which will be cleared by 2030). According to the document, the vast majority of demolished housing—95 percent—consists of private sector residential plots.
Schools and kindergartens
The General Plan also provides for large-scale construction of educational facilities. By 2035, Astana plans to open 206 kindergartens with a capacity of 159,200 places, which is expected to fully meet the city's needs.
Furthermore, to accommodate the growing number of students, the city intends to build 123 schools by 2030, with an additional 55 schools planned by 2035. In total, 256,200 student places must be created by that time.
The government approved Astana's General Plan until 2035. At that time, its implementation was estimated to require 6.3 trillion tenge from various sources. Approximately 4.3 trillion tenge was planned for residential construction, with another 700 billion tenge earmarked for infrastructure projects.