Photo:Xinhua

The commencement ceremony of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway project was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan on Friday, marking significant progress in its preliminary phase and laying a solid foundation for the project's construction at an early stage, China Railway said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Friday.

The railway is a flagship project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) promoted by leaders of the three countries involved, and a strategic connectivity project between China and Central Asia, a spokesperson for China Railway was quoted as saying in the statement. Based on the current progress, the project is scheduled to officially commence construction in July 2025, with a construction period of six years, the statement noted.

The CKU railway starts from Kashi, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, passes through the Torugart Pass into Kyrgyzstan, continues westward through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalalabad, and ends in the eastern Uzbek city of Andijan.

China will be responsible for the construction of the Chinese section, while Uzbekistan will be in charge of the upgrade and renovation of the Uzbek section. The CKU Railway Co, a joint venture established by companies authorized by the three governments, will be responsible for the financing, construction, and operation of the Kyrgyz section.

According to the approved feasibility study report, the section in Kyrgyzstan will be a single-track railway operating with diesel locomotives (with provisions for future electrification), with a designed speed of 120 kilometers an hour. It will have 20 stations, including Turgart Port Station, and Jalalabad Port Station.

Once the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is completed, it will serve as a strategic corridor, bringing substantial benefits to the three countries and their citizens while fostering regional economic and social development, according to China Railway. It will also play a significant role in enhancing infrastructure connectivity and economic and trade exchanges among the countries along the rail route, as well as in advancing the high-quality BRI development.

"The project launch is a positive development not only for China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, which will see direct and immediate economic benefits, but also for the rest of the Central Asian states and even beyond," Maryam Agharabi, a research coordinator at China & Central Asia Studies Center in Kazakhstan, told the Global Times.

According to Agharabi, the CKU railway project contributes to the cooperative approach within the Central Asia region, meaning that it not only helps diversify trade and transit by adding an extra route connecting Central Asian countries in east-west direction, but it also demonstrates a commitment to the development of the region as a whole in the spirit of regional economic cooperation.

Global Times