Construction began on three key tunnels along the Kyrgyz section of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway on 29 April 2025, marking the start of substantive main-line construction. The railway linking Kashgar and Andijan is a major project for overland connectivity between China and Uzbekistan.
On 29 April 2025, construction began on the Fergana Mountain, Naryn No. 1 and Koshtet tunnels along the Kyrgyz section of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway. Citing China State Railway Group, Xinhua reported that this marked the start of substantive construction on the project’s main line. This progress followed earlier cooperation arrangements between the three countries. On 6 June 2024, China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed an intergovernmental agreement on the project in Beijing. A project launch ceremony followed in Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan, on 27 December that year. Cooperation thus progressed from project arrangements to construction of key infrastructure.
According to the published alignment, the railway will start in Kashgar, Xinjiang, enter Kyrgyzstan through the Torugart Pass, continue through Jalal-Abad and terminate in Andijan, Uzbekistan. Each of the three tunnels on which construction began exceeds 10 kilometres in length. Their construction involves complex geology and high-altitude conditions, making them important engineering components of the project.
For the long-term development of China–Uzbekistan trade, construction of the new corridor gives businesses a basis for reassessing their overland transport networks. Shippers of machinery, automotive parts, consumer goods and other cargo can follow future station and service arrangements in light of customer locations, inventory plans and destination delivery areas. The project will also draw attention to connections between future railway nodes and warehousing, distribution and last-mile delivery.
While the project is under construction, actual shipments must continue to use existing rail or road corridors. When planning procurement and delivery, businesses can confirm line-haul arrangements, border procedures, destination terminal operations and last-mile responsibilities separately, while incorporating progress on the new corridor into their long-term supply chain plans.
Sources
1. Xinhua: Construction Begins on Key Structures of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway | 2025-04-29
2. National Development and Reform Commission of China: Intergovernmental Agreement on the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway Project Signed | 2024-06-07
3. National Development and Reform Commission of China, citing Xinhua: President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and NDRC Chairman Zheng Shanjie Attends China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway Project Launch Ceremony | 2024-12-28