Published
06/14/2026, 22:36Today, 14 June, during a working visit to the Issyk-Kul region, President Sadyr Zhaparov took part in a ceremony to lay the foundation stone for the Balykchy–Tamchy–Cholpon-Ata railway.
During the event, the Head of State was briefed on the project and the results of restoration work on the railway section from Balykchy station to the ‘Balykchy Beach’ stop, and also travelled along this route on a railcar.
The railway line, approximately 6 kilometres long, was operational during the Soviet era but subsequently fell into disrepair and was taken out of service. Last year, the state-owned enterprise ‘Kyrgyz Temir Zholu’ carried out its modernisation: the track and sleepers were replaced, and safety barriers were installed to ensure traffic safety.
In his speech, the President noted that last year, the volume of freight transported by rail reached 10 million tonnes, which is 36% more than the 7 million tonnes recorded in 2021. This is one of the best figures in the history of the domestic railway industry.
Over the same period, the number of passengers using rail transport increased from 255,000 in 2021 to 432,000 in 2025. This represents a 70% increase.
This trend indicates an improvement in the sector’s performance and an expansion of the railway’s role in the country’s transport system. As a result, public confidence in rail transport is growing.
“Construction is currently underway on the strategically important China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, with a total length of 304 kilometres. An important part of this project is the ‘Makmal’ transhipment station. It will provide a connection between railway lines of different gauges and will become one of the country’s key logistics centres. Alongside this, work is underway on the Balykchy–Kochkor–Kara-Keche–Makmal railway project, which is of strategic importance for the development of the country’s domestic rail network and for strengthening transport links between the north and south of Kyrgyzstan”, — said Sadyr Zhaparov.
He added that the first phase of this project involves the construction of the 63-kilometre Balykchy–Kochkor railway line.
“The construction of this railway will enable an increase in the volume of raw materials and industrial goods transported, improve transport accessibility to the regions, reduce logistics costs and significantly strengthen the integration of the national railway system. It is precisely as a logical continuation of these achievements that we can today, with good reason, speak of the start of construction of the Balykchy–Tamchy–Cholpon-Ata railway”, — noted the head of state.
The length of the new railway line will be approximately 86 kilometres.
The project provides for the integration of the railway with Issyk-Kul International Airport. As a result, a modern multimodal transport and logistics hub will be created on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul.
“According to preliminary estimates, once the project reaches full capacity, it will be able to handle up to 5 million tonnes of cargo per year. Furthermore, I hope that as the infrastructure develops and the region’s economy grows, this figure will continue to rise. The project is of particular significance because it takes into account the large-scale investment initiatives currently being implemented on the shores of Issyk-Kul. “The new railway will ensure the delivery of construction materials and other cargo, and will contribute to the development of the region’s tourism potential and the expansion of passenger transport”, — said Sadyr Zhaparov.
During the project’s implementation, more than 400 jobs will be created, and once the railway is operational, over 200 permanent jobs will be established.
The President emphasised that the training of domestic personnel is taking place simultaneously: Kyrgyz engineers and builders are being sent for training and gaining practical experience to enable them to independently implement similar projects in the future. Projects for which there are currently insufficient domestic expertise and resources are being temporarily constructed with the involvement of foreign specialists.
In conclusion, Sadyr Zhaparov emphasised that the implementation of this project will be an important step in the development of Kyrgyzstan’s economy, tourism and transport infrastructure, and expressed his confidence that the new railway line will contribute to regional development and open up new opportunities for future generations.
