en.Wedoany.com Reported - Uzbekistan's Minister of Transport stated that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is progressing smoothly, with construction currently reaching approximately 17%. Eight key control bridges are under construction, with over 10,000 workers and more than 7,000 sets of specialized construction equipment deployed on site. The project was originally planned with a construction period of about six years, but is now expected to be completed and opened to traffic at least one year ahead of schedule. During a meeting with the President of Kyrgyzstan, the President of Uzbekistan referred to the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project as a "project of the century that will reshape the region's geopolitical landscape," which will further strengthen railway connectivity between Central Asia and China upon completion.
As a key project for connectivity between China and Central Asia, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway spans approximately 542 kilometers in total, including about 167 kilometers within China, approximately 305 kilometers within Kyrgyzstan, and about 70 kilometers within Uzbekistan. The route departs from Kashgar in China's Xinjiang region, exits via the Torugart Pass, and adopts standard gauge on the section to Makmal in Kyrgyzstan; the section from Makmal via Jalal-Abad to Andijan adopts broad gauge, connecting with the existing railway network in Central Asia and achieving a smooth transition between the two gauge systems.
On December 27, 2024, the project launch ceremony was held in Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan; on April 29, 2025, construction began on three key tunnels—Fergana Mountain, Naryn No. 1, and Koshtobe; by July 2025, full-scale main construction officially commenced across the Kyrgyzstan section, marking the project's entry into comprehensive construction; at the end of July 2026, Uzbekistan's Minister of Transport emphasized that the project is progressing smoothly and completion is expected ahead of schedule.
The investment and financing arrangements reached by the three countries have provided critical funding guarantees and a cooperation framework for this progress. It is reported that the project is being implemented jointly by a trilateral joint venture, with China holding a 51% stake and Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan each holding 24.5%; of the total investment of approximately $4.7 billion, about $2.3 billion is being provided by China in the form of a 35-year loan, with the remainder contributed as equity by each shareholder in proportion to their stakes. Stable funding guarantees have created the conditions for accelerating construction.
Alongside accelerated infrastructure construction, supporting soft-environment reforms are being advanced in parallel. Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China are working together to reduce border clearance times, eliminate transportation and logistics barriers, digitize customs documentation, and plan to transition toward a license-free freight transit model in the future. These measures have already shown initial results, with cargo volumes transiting through Kyrgyzstan between China and Uzbekistan having grown sevenfold, laying an early foundation for operational connectivity after the railway's completion.
Upon completion, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will provide a supplementary option for regional transport corridors beyond the existing transit routes through Russia and Kazakhstan, enabling China to further connect with Türkiye, Iran, and other destinations via Central Asia, while also enhancing Uzbekistan's position as a regional transit hub and providing the country with a new transportation and logistics corridor connecting to China.
