Nearly 100 thousand people in a day – LRT in Astana experienced an influx of passengers

Tengrinews.kz — In Astana, LRT passenger traffic exceeded projected capacity during its first days of operation. Nearly 100,000 people used the new transport system in the last 24 hours alone, according to Asylbek Duysebayev, Chairman of the Board of City Transportation Systems (CTS).
According to Duysebayev, total passenger traffic has reached 180,000 people since the launch. Approximately 100,000 passengers used the LRT services yesterday alone.

"This exceeds the projected capacity. At the moment, passenger traffic has already decreased by half," Duysebayev reported.

He also urged residents to follow safety regulations and avoid interfering with the automated system's operations.

"We would like to urge everyone to follow safety rules: do not press emergency buttons on platforms or in carriages unless absolutely necessary, do not attempt to open train doors manually, and do not obstruct them from closing. Such actions cause the trains to stop," the head of CTS warned.

The Chairman reminded that the LRT system is fully automated and operates without drivers; therefore, any such actions are perceived by the system as potential security threats to passengers.

"No violations have been observed today, and traffic is proceeding as scheduled," Asylbek Duysebayev added.

Context
On Saturday, May 16, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev officially launched the Astana LRT. As the inaugural passenger, the Head of State traveled from the airport "Auezhay" station to the "National Museum" station.
The Astana LRT will feature 18 stations in total, with routes passing through the city's major business centers and residential areas. To further develop public transport, plans for a second phase of the LRT are being finalized. This includes the construction of new lines toward the Astana-1 railway station, the Zhagalau residential area, and the city of Kosshy. The second phase will span a total length of 26.5 kilometers with 20 stations.
Later, social media users began sharing videos showing that the new trains were stationary and not moving. The CTS press service explained that several instances of passengers violating safety rules were recorded on the LRT line, which can lead to emergency situations and temporary service delays.