I still remember the thrill of boarding the sleek high-speed train from Tashkent to Bukhara. What could have been an ordinary journey turned into something unforgettable – the kind of experience that stays alive in the memory long after the trip ends. The speed, the comfort, and above all, the hospitality of Uzbekistan Railways revealed more than just modern engineering; it was a glimpse into the vision of a country determined to connect its people and its future to the wider world.
The resonance of this project is deep. The Silk Road was once the artery of global exchange, moving not just goods but ideas, cultures, and entire civilizations between East and West. From Xi’an to Samarkand, Bukhara, and Tashkent, caravans carried silk, porcelain, and paper eastward, while wool, stones, fruits, and glassware travelled west. The CKU Railway is not simply another infrastructure project; it is the revival of this legacy, adapted for the 21st century. By shortening transport routes by nearly 900 kilometers and halving transit times, it promises to transform Uzbekistan’s geographic disadvantage into a strategic strength. For a landlocked country, this is more than steel on tracks – it is a lifeline to global markets.
That is where railways carry an underappreciated advantage. Beyond the economics, rail is also a climate solution. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has found that rail freight is three to four times more energy-efficient than trucks. Trains use 65–80% less fuel per kilogram of cargo. The European Environment Agency calculates that a ton of freight moved by train emits 14–20 grams of CO₂ per kilometer, while the same tonnage on trucks produces 60–120 grams. That is a four- to fivefold difference. If the 20th century belonged to highways, the 21st must belong to railways.
To grasp what this means for Central Asia, consider the region’s emissions profile. According to the EDGAR 2023 dataset, annual greenhouse gas emissions (excluding LULUCF, 2022) stand at roughly 320 MtCO₂e for Kazakhstan, 214 MtCO₂e for Uzbekistan, 99 MtCO₂e for Turkmenistan, 22 MtCO₂e for Kyrgyzstan, and 21 MtCO₂e for Tajikistan. Transport is responsible for around a tenth of that, and road freight dominates. The opportunity for reductions through a modal shift is therefore enormous.
Take Uzbekistan as a case in point. The country moves about 90 billion ton-km of freight annually, within a regional total of some 350 billion. At present, 70% of this moves by road and 30% by rail. Imagine that by 2035, half of current road freight shifts to electrified rail – around 32 billion ton-km. On trucks, that freight would generate 2.9 MtCO₂e per year. On electrified trains, it would produce only 0.54 MtCO₂e. The savings: 2.4 MtCO₂e annually, or more than 1% of Uzbekistan’s entire national emissions. For a single infrastructure project, that is an extraordinary return in climate terms.
The regional potential is just as striking. If similar shifts occurred across Central Asia, annual savings would reach 7–9 MtCO₂e by 2035 – the equivalent of removing two million cars from the road. Projected out to 2050, the cumulative impact could exceed 200 MtCO₂e, a number that should command attention in any discussion of global decarbonization.
What makes this feasible is that Uzbekistan is already ahead. As of 2024, between 52–55% of Uzbekistan’s network is electrified, though the government plans to reach 65% by 2030. With a push to reach full electrification by 2035, this could set a model for its neighbors. Coupled with the country’s vast solar and wind resources, Uzbekistan has the potential to operate a renewable-powered, zero-carbon rail system – a showcase of climate leadership on a global scale.
The implications ripple outward. Shifting freight to electrified rail reduces dependence on imported diesel, strengthening energy security and insulating supply chains from oil price shocks. It cuts logistics costs, making exports more competitive. It diversifies trade routes, reducing reliance on traditional corridors and giving countries more geopolitical autonomy. And it delivers measurable, sector-specific emissions reductions, reinforcing Uzbekistan’s credibility in international climate negotiations.
This is also about relationships. China remains Uzbekistan’s largest trading partner and one of its most important investors. By partnering on the CKU Railway, the two countries are deepening their ties. But critically, they are doing so in a way that embeds climate considerations into infrastructure investment. That is the essence of what the Belt and Road should be in its next phase – a framework not only for connectivity but for sustainability.
When I think back to my own journey from Tashkent to Bukhara, I realize that what impressed me most was not just the technology but the feeling of momentum, of a country on the move. The CKU Railway now promises to extend that feeling across borders, carrying prosperity and resilience in equal measure. The Silk Road once bound continents together with caravans of silk and spices. Today, Uzbekistan is reviving that role, not with camels and caravans but with high-speed, climate-smart railways.
Every kilometer shifted from truck to train is a victory for climate security. Every electrified line is a statement of intent. The steel tracks being laid across Central Asia are not simply infrastructure; they are lifelines of a sustainable future, channels of trust and cooperation, and proof that history can guide us toward a greener tomorrow.
The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway embodies this vision. It is a bridge between the past and the future, between economics and environment, between commerce and climate responsibility. It shows that with the right leadership, connectivity and climate action are not opposing goals but reinforcing pillars of progress. For Central Asia, and especially for Uzbekistan, this railway is more than a route. It is a statement of destiny.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the publication, its affiliates, or any other organizations mentioned.
