SALES OF TICKETS OF THE SUPPLEMENTARY TALGO TO ALAKOL STILL HAVE NOT OPENED
Trains are due to start running on June 12, but tickets have yet to go on sale.
Information about the imminent launch of Talgo trains appeared on March 2, 2022, even then Kazakhstanis began calling travel agencies with a desire to book seats on comfortable trains.
“Back in February, tour operators were promised to solve the problem with the lack of tickets for existing railway flights, it was decided to launch two additional Talgo trains No. 211/212 Almaty-Dostyk every other day, and No. 453/454 Almaty-Dostyk 3 once a week,” said Elena Mikhnova, deputy director of the tourism department at NCE Atameken.
According to Raushan Sartaeva, executive director of PK Turan-Express LLP, tickets should have appeared in the system 45 days before the train’s departure, and there are none today.
“If trains started running on the promised date, then tickets would appear in the system on May 1-5. Today we are regularly called by tourists who want to relax and comfortably get to the recreation area. People saw messages about the launch of Talgo, but we are forced to apologize and explain that there are no trains, ”she said.
The businesswoman added that the number of rooms for the next month is already occupied, and people are forced to get to the recreation area by private transport.
Tour operators have been raising the issue of a shortage of rail transport since November 2021. “Atameken” NCE has repeatedly gathered on its site entrepreneurs, “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” “NC JSC and the relevant department. Together with the tourist market and Passenger Transportation JSC, the rules for early reservation of seats on commercial trains for tour operators have been developed and approved. This was done for the convenience of tourists and travel companies to meet the demands.
“Taking into account the fact that the airports of the city of Usharal and the village of Urdzhar are closed, the main demand falls on railway transportation. Tour operators are concerned about the situation with the lack of additional trains and the high demand for recreation,” said Elena Mikhnova.