Mangistau Region, 23 October. The railway station at Mangistau has reopened after reconstruction that increased its floor area more than elevenfold to over 9,000 square metres, and so many residents turned up for the opening that a crush formed at the entrance, Tengrinews.kz reports, citing Ak Zhaiyk.
Footage was posted by local blogger Azamat Sarsenbayev: it shows dozens of people trying to get inside at once, with a crush forming at the doors. No injuries were reported. The press service of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy attributed the crowd to residents' strong interest in the renovated station.
According to KTZ, the building has spacious waiting rooms, lifts and escalators, mother-and-child rooms, and new commercial and sanitary areas. How much the reconstruction cost and how many passengers the station is designed for were not disclosed.
The station was made eleven times bigger, yet on opening day its entrance still proved too narrow.
What it means: Mangistau has a large modern station, and interest in it was so great that the opening was accompanied by a crush. According to reports, no one was hurt.
Who benefits: Rail passengers in Mangistau region get comfortable halls, lifts and escalators. KTZ gets a renovated hub in the west of the country. Organisers of future openings get a lesson in preparing entrances for crowds.
Background: The reconstruction was carried out by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy; according to the company, the building now exceeds 9,000 square metres.
List of sources used: Tengrinews.kz
Artificial intelligence was used in preparing this material.
