The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway could be built a year ahead of schedule

Construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway is approximately 17 per cent complete. The project, which is expected to take at least five years, is scheduled to be completed at least one year ahead of the original deadline. This was reported by the Uzbek publication ‘Gazeta.uz’, citing Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport, Ilkhom Makhkamov.

According to the minister, construction of eight major bridges is currently underway at the sites. More than 10,000 people and over 7,000 pieces of specialised machinery are involved in the work.

“We have personally ascertained that, under the supervision of the Head of State, a project originally scheduled to take at least five years can be completed at least a year ahead of schedule,” Makhkamov stated in an interview with the ‘Uzbekistan 24’ television channel.

The minister did not specify the exact new date for the motorway’s commissioning.

The head of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport also reported that the volume of freight traffic between China and Uzbekistan via Kyrgyzstan has increased sevenfold. According to him, the new route will enable Uzbekistan to strengthen its transit capacity and gain an additional transport corridor for trade with China.

It should be noted that construction of the railway officially began in December 2024. The project is estimated to cost approximately $4.7 billion, and its future capacity is expected to reach up to 15 million tonnes of freight annually. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan each hold a 24.5 per cent stake in the joint venture, whilst China holds 51 per cent.