Purpose – to analyse the current state of th e railway transport playing the leading and important role in the country Methodology – during the research general scientific and comparative methods were used. At a research of a problem general scientific methods of studying, methods of statistical information processing were applied. Methods of statistical information processing were applied when comparing these main indicators of work of railway transport in Kazakhstan for 2012-2016. Originality/value – in transport system of Kazakhstan railway transport possesses one of the leading roles. long distances of transportation, rather cheap tariffs for transportations of passengers, almost trouble-free operation in difficult climatic conditions do railway transport to the most demanded from users. In article the analysis of the current state of railway transport is carried out. Works of the Kazakhstan researchers Agdarbekovy B. O. Baymukhambetova M. K. have been devoted to development of transport branch., Bayakhmetova T. B., Nurseitova Zh. T., Sabetova of A. Satova R. K. and others. Despite a large number of the works devoted to problems of work of the organization of a transport complex in general and transportations of passengers, questions of the current state of railway transport haven't received sufficient consideration in the scientific developments connected with the analysis of work of railway transport. Sharpness of the questions connected with activity of railway transport of his state and further development demands the deep and detailed analysis. Findings – in general current state of zheleznorodozhny transport stable. As show analysis results, in 2012-2016 the amount of the transported freight increased, and the number of the transported passengers, a cargo turnover and a passenger turnover decreased. Also in 2012-2015 railway vehicles of a rail transport and amount of the cargoes dispatched by a railway transport decreased. The prospects of development of a rail transport in Kazakhstan assume forming of branched transport infrastructure and a construction of new speedways, and also improvement of a condition of the operating roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]