China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway Construction: 22% to Be Completed by End of 2026

By the end of 2026, construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway is planned to reach 22% completion of the total volume, stated Ulan Kulov, deputy general director of JSC "China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway Company," on air during Birinchi Radio. According to him, contractors expect to overfulfill the annual plan by approximately 10%.

Construction is proceeding simultaneously on 11 sections of the Kyrgyzstani segment of the railway, carried out by 11 subcontracting companies. Tunnel excavation has been completed 21.5%, installation of pile foundations for bridges at 95%, and earthwork at 67%. The first tunnel, "Kosh-Dobo-2," measuring 209 meters in length, was fully excavated in August 2024.

On Kyrgyz territory, construction includes 29 tunnels with a combined length of 104 kilometers and 50 bridges spanning approximately 25 kilometers. No bridges are yet fully completed; installation of the first bridge structures is scheduled for 2027.

Individual sections of the route pass at elevations up to 3,600 meters above sea level. Kulov noted that tunnel excavation encounters unforeseen difficulties: soil conditions change, collapses occur, and groundwater emerges.

More than 10,000 people are engaged in construction. Since the project's inception, over 3,000 jobs have been created for Kyrgyz citizens, and approximately 1,800 Kyrgyzstanis have completed training at three educational centers.

The Kyrgyzstani segment will span 304 kilometers. According to the approved schedule, the railway is to become operational in 2031, though contractors expect to complete work ahead of schedule in 2030. The designed maximum train speed will be up to 140 km/h.