China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kyrgyzstan Breaks Ground on First Tunnel of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway

Construction of a 12-kilometer tunnel has commenced in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region, marking a significant milestone in the development of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a strategically important transport corridor aimed at linking East and West. At the groundbreaking ceremony on April 29, Kyrgyz Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Bakyt Torobayev emphasized the railway's broader significance. “This project is not only of infrastructural importance. It opens the way to improving the quality of life, economic growth, and strengthening ties between regions and peoples. It will create new opportunities for trade, investment, industrial development and logistics, provide thousands of jobs, and give a powerful impetus to the economies of our countries,” he said. A Major Infrastructure Undertaking The railway will span 523 kilometers, with over 300 kilometers passing through Kyrgyzstan. In addition to the current tunnel project, two more large tunnels are planned in the Naryn and Jalal-Abad regions. The project involves challenging terrain and extensive engineering work, including the construction of 46 bridges and 27 tunnels. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway was officially launched during a ceremony in Jalal-Abad on December 27, 2024. Once completed, the route will connect Kashgar (China), Torugart, Makmal, and Jalal-Abad (Kyrgyzstan), and Andijan (Uzbekistan). The railway is expected to have an annual cargo capacity of up to 15 million tons. Currently, neither Kyrgyzstan nor Uzbekistan has a direct railway connection with China. At present, Central Asia’s only rail link to China passes through Kazakhstan, underscoring the significance of this long-anticipated trilateral project.

First PPP Project to Build Major Railway Launched in Kyrgyzstan

On February 19, a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement was signed in Bishkek for the "Trans-Eurasian Route" railway project, marking Kyrgyzstan’s first PPP initiative in the railway sector. The agreement was signed between the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan’s national railway company Kyrgyz Temir Zholu, and the U.S.-based consortium All American Rail Group Global Infrastructure Partner LLC. The project involves constructing a railway across central Kyrgyzstan, traversing mountainous terrain from east to west, and connecting Karakol in the northeastern Issyk-Kul region with Makmal in the southwestern Jalal-Abad region. According to the National Investment Agency, the railway will be a key step in modernizing Kyrgyzstan’s transport infrastructure, enhancing regional connectivity and economic development. National Investment Agency Director Talantbek Imanov stated that the project represents an investment of approximately $3 billion, expected to create new jobs, improve the national transport network, and generate long-term economic benefits. Additionally, the railway will enhance Kyrgyzstan’s connectivity with neighboring countries, particularly through its link to the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which will pass through Makmal. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway project, officially launched in December 2024, aims to serve as a major East-West trade route. Construction of the CKU railway is already underway. The 523-kilometer CKU railway will connect Kashgar (China), Torugart, Makmal, Jalal-Abad (Kyrgyzstan), and Andijan (Uzbekistan). Once completed, it is expected to transport up to 15 million tons of cargo annually, facilitating trade between China, Central Asia, the Middle East — including Turkey — and the European Union.

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Uzbekistan Extends Agreement on Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif Railway with Afghanistan

Uzbekistan has reached an agreement with Afghanistan's Taliban interim government to extend the contract for operating and maintaining the Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif railway. Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport, Ilhom Mahkamov, met with Mohammad Ishaq Sahibzada, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Public Works for Railways, during talks held in Tashkent from January 21 to 23. Uzbekistan's Ministry of Transport agreement has confirmed the agreement. The meetings, chaired by Mahkamov, focused on accelerating the construction of the Trans-Afghan Railway project and planning the next stages of work. Both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing regional connectivity and ensuring the smooth operation of the existing railway infrastructure. Under the extended agreement, Sogdiana Trans LLC, a subsidiary of Uzbekistan Railways Joint Stock Company, will continue managing the Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif railway. This railway, constructed in 2010 for $129 million, has been operated by Sogdiana Trans since its completion. In August 2024, the Naibabad railway station — part of the Hairaton-Naibabad-Mazar-e-Sharif railway line — was reopened after restoration. The work was carried out by Sogdiana Trans in collaboration with the Termez Regional Railway Hub under a contract with the Afghan Railways Administration. Despite a 2022 proposal from Afghan authorities to transfer the railway’s management to local companies to reduce operational costs, the plan wasn't implemented. In 2024, the Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif railway facilitated the transport of 4,200 containers of goods between Afghanistan and China, according to the Afghan Ministry of Public Works. The Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif railway forms a critical part of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan railway corridor. The corridor’s capacity is expected to expand significantly following the completion of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Currently, neither Kyrgyzstan nor Uzbekistan has a direct rail connection to China, with Central Asia’s rail access to China limited to a route through Kazakhstan. Construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway officially began on December 27, 2024. The 523-kilometer route will run from Kashgar (China) through Torugart, Makmal, and Jalal-Abad (Kyrgyzstan), before reaching Andijan (Uzbekistan). Once operational, the railway is expected to handle up to 15 million tons of cargo annually, creating a vital new trade link across the region. This agreement between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan secures the continued operation of the Hairaton-Mazar-e-Sharif railway and reinforces Uzbekistan’s commitment to regional cooperation and infrastructure development. These efforts aim to boost trade, connectivity, and economic opportunities across Central and South Asia.

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Long-Awaited Construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Officially Launched

On December 27, Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov, the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China, Zheng Shanjie, and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjayev participated in a ceremony to mark the start of construction on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. The event occurred in the village of Tosh-Kutchu in Kyrgyzstan’s Jalal-Abad region, where they laid the first stone for this significant regional transportation project. Speaking at the ceremony, President Japarov highlighted the importance of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway as more than just a transportation route, describing it as a critical strategic bridge linking the East and West. "This route will ensure the delivery of goods from China to Kyrgyzstan, as well as to the countries of Central Asia and the Middle East, including Turkey, and on to the European Union. The project will strengthen interregional ties, help diversify transport routes and increase the competitiveness of the region as an international transport and transit hub, which is in line with the goals of the Central Asian countries," Japarov said. Zheng Shanjie delivered a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping, highlighting that the new land corridor connecting Asia and Europe will significantly increase the flow of people and trade among the three countries. According to the message, the project is expected to drive regional prosperity by fostering industrial and resource development, boosting trade, and attracting investment. Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in an address read by Deputy Prime Minister Khodjayev, called the launch of railway construction a historic milestone that the three nations had been working toward for nearly 30 years. The Uzbek leader noted that the new transportation artery, which will establish the shortest land route connecting Central Asia and China, will strengthen the strategic partnership between the three nations. The 523-kilometer railway will traverse Kashgar (China), Torugart, Makmal, Jalal-Abad (Kyrgyzstan), and Andijan (Uzbekistan). Once completed, the railway is expected to handle up to 15 million tons of cargo annually. Currently, neither Kyrgyzstan nor Uzbekistan has a direct railway connection to China. Central Asia’s rail link to China is limited to a route through Kazakhstan, leaving Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan without a direct connection.

Hydropower Transport and Logistics Kambarata China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway

Old Projects Now Part of Kyrgyzstan’s Near Future

Two projects that successive governments in Kyrgyzstan over the course of more than three decades have promoted as key to the country’s long-term success appear to finally be making progress. The idea for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway dates back to the early days of Kyrgyzstan’s independence, and plans for construction of the massive Kambar-Ata-1 hydropower plant (HPP) go back even further, to the Soviet-era. After all these years, these aspirations that have almost faded into dreams are set to be realized. All Aboard On December 27, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov took part in a ceremony near the southern city of Jalal-Abad to launch construction of Kyrgyzstan’s section of the CKU railway. The idea of a trans-Asian railway that would run from China into Kyrgyzstan and on to points further west goes back to the first meeting on Central Asian presidents in December 1991 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. It was a lofty ambition from five leaders whose countries had been independent for barely three months, but then-Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev followed up on the proposal, discussing the railway project with Chinese leaders when he visited Beijing in May 1992. That was more than one year before the first road border crossing opened between the two countries. By the end of the 1990s, the scope of the project had narrowed to a railway connecting China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, though it was often vaguely mentioned the line could be part of a longer railway connecting China to Europe through Central Asia. The topic of the CKU railway was always part of the agenda for every Kyrgyz president whenever they met with Chinese leaders. In June 2001, then-Kyrgyz transport and communications minister Kubanychbek Jumaliyev announced his country would sign an inter-governmental agreement with China and Uzbekistan on construction of the railway. At that time, Jumaliyev said some 250 kilometers of the line would pass through Kyrgyzstan and the cost of construction of the whole line would be about $2.3 billion. According to the latest plans for the route, CKU railway will be 486 kilometers, from Kashgar in China’s western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to Torugart on the Kyrgyz-China border, then through the Kyrgyz cities of Makmal and Jalal-Abad to Andijon in Uzbekistan. The distance is not great, but the mountainous landscape of Kyrgyzstan through which the route will pass presents some formidable challenges. The 312 kilometers that will run through Kyrgyzstan requires construction of 81 bridges and 41 tunnels that will account for some 120 kilometers of the 312-kilometer Kyrgyz section of the railway. According to some sources, including Akylbek Japarov, who until December 16 was chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, the estimated cost of building the entire railway is now put at some $8 billion. Cash-strapped Kyrgyzstan is expected to pay some $4.7 billion of that, and has already agreed to accept a Chinese loan of some $2.35 billion. The advantages for Kyrgyzstan will not come quickly, but they should come eventually. Simply being better connected to markets in Europe and China...

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Kyrgyzstan to Build Major Customs and Logistics Center

Construction has commenced on a state-of-the-art customs and logistics center, Global Hub, in the Alamudun district of Kyrgyzstan’s northern Chui region, near the capital, Bishkek. The center will cover more than 136,000 square meters, including 120,000 square meters of modern warehouses. These facilities will feature temperature-controlled environments, refrigeration systems for perishable goods, and dedicated storage for medicines. Additionally, the complex will include dry and bonded warehouses to support various logistical needs. The $21 million project is being implemented by Alkanov Group LLC, a local company. On December 26 the new Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, Adylbek Kasymaliyev, highlighted the strategic importance of the project. He noted that Kyrgyzstan’s warehousing sector is still in its infancy and lacks facilities that meet international standards. “This strategic project addresses current challenges and holds great importance for the state. If the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is completed by 2030 and the Bedel checkpoint on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border begins operating at full capacity, Kyrgyzstan’s warehousing market will expand significantly,” Kasymaliyev said. He emphasized the necessity of preparing for growing import and export demands, adding, “Millions of tons of cargo are processed and transported globally every day. The construction of large warehouses, logistics centers, and hubs will drive economic development in Kyrgyzstan.”