Over 57% of the country is served by trains, which transport 68% of all cargo and passengers. With the exception of industrial lines, common carrier service covers 15,333 km (9,527 mi). All of Kazakhstan's railways are constructed in 1,520 mm gauge, with 4,000 km (2,500 mi) of them electrified.

Kazakhstan Temir Zholy operates as the country's railway. Kazakhstan's railway infrastructure is being developed in partnership with Alstom, a French locomotive manufacturer. In addition to two joint ventures with KTZ and its subsidiary in Kazakhstan, Alstom employs more than 600 people. Alstom opened its first locomotive repair facility in Kazakhstan in July 2017. It is the only repair facility in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Based on the requirements of Soviet planning, rail routes in the Kazakhstani rail system were designed to ignore inter-Soviet borders. Anomalies have resulted as a result, such as the fact that the route from Oral to Aktobe briefly traversed Russian territory. Additionally, it indicates that the routes might not meet the requirements of contemporary Kazakhstan.