# KYRGYZSTAN | Railways



## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

There has been news around that Kyrgyzstan section of China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway will finally start constrcution this year, and Kyrgyzstan are now also keen to revitalize its railway network, which I am sure will generate a lof of excitment.... So I open up this thread given there is no thread about Kyrgyz railways. Any posts about the history, current status and propects of Kyrgyz railways are welcomed here.


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

*Construction of Railway China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan to Begin in 2016*

http://www.ut.uz/en/business/construction_of_railway_chinakyrgyzstanuzbekistan_to_begin_in_2016










Construction of the railway China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan will begin in 2016, Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Temir Sariev said, according to the government website.

"In the case of the completion of the railway China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan, access to the sea will be open for us. Currently, the project is being coordinated with the Chinese side. In particular, we are discussing the width of the track of the railway. The People's Republic of China has sufficient funds and capacity to implement the project in the shortest possible time,” Sariev said.

According to him, China's high-speed railways connect almost all the regions together.

"Construction of the railway will give an impetus to the development of the economy. In addition, this project involves construction of the relevant infrastructure," the head of government said.

Temir Sariev stressed that all these projects are provided in the framework of the Economic Belt of the Silk Road.

"If the project of construction of the railway is implemented as planned, it will be able to transit loads up to 15-20 million tons per year through Kyrgyzstan. In the future, it provides for the possibility of extending the railway to Iran. The initial phase of the project is scheduled to begin in 2016," the Prime Minister Temir Sariyev concluded.


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

*Bishkek Puts Brakes on China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway*

*this is one analysis done in November 2015*

http://www.jamestown.org/programs/edm/single/?tx_ttnews[tt_news]=44562

November 3, 2015

s negotiations drag on between Beijing and Bishkek over the technical and financial aspects of constructing the Kyrgyzstani part of the planned China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, Uzbekistan, with Chinese monetary and technical assistance, is nearing the completion of its section of the railroad.

In early September 2015, the Uzbekistan Railways Co. announced that it finished the construction of 104 kilometers of the 129-kilometer-long Angren–Pap railway line, which is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2016 (Uzdaily.com, September 8). The Angren–Pap railway will connect Uzbekistan’s eastern provinces bordering on Kyrgyzstan to the rest of the domestic rail network.

If realized, the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan line is expected to become part of the shortest railway link connecting the modern “factory of the world” with the oil rich Middle East and the enormous European market via Central Asia. Notably, the Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Iran railway is already in place (see EDM, October 3, 2014).

Despite apparent benefits as a transit country, Kyrgyzstan’s government has been slow and indecisive in implementing its part of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railroad, while the country’s president, Almazbek Atambaev, keeps changing his mind on the project. In 2012, Atambaev called this railroad “the single most important infrastructure project,” which he strongly desired “to see implemented” (Azattyk.org, May 24, 2012). However, by late 2013, he reversed his position and dismissed the project as being of “little use for Kyrgyzstan itself and [solely benefitting] neighboring countries” (Azattyk.org, December 19, 2013).

Even so, according to estimates by the Kyrgyz Republic, during its construction, the railway line will create 30,000 temporary jobs and, once completed, more than 3,000 permanent jobs domestically. In addition, annual transit revenues to Kyrgyzstan are estimated at around $200 million (Gezitter.org, May 22, 2013).

According to regional observers, this constant vacillating by Kyrgyzstan’s government is a negotiating strategy aimed at extracting as many concessions as possible from the Chinese side. However, continuous delay could cost Kyrgyzstan precious time and might undermine President Atambaev’s reputation as a reliable interlocutor (Atimes.com, May 17, 2012).

The future of this railway project began to appear more uncertain after Kyrgyzstan joined the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), in May 2015. Since Kyrgyzstan joined the EEU, its trade with China dropped 90 percent drop in re-export-related activity at Bishkek’s Dordoi market—a hub for the re-export of Chinese goods (EurasiaNet, June 16, 2014).

Activists of the Facebook community “Kyrgyzstan Against the Customs Union” fear that EEU membership may become a straightjacket for the Central Asian republic, forcing it to forego any opportunity perceived as harmful to Russia’s interests. The case in point is has been the curtailing of Kyrgyzstan’s re-export of Chinese goods—one of the main preconditions for joining the EEU (Vecherniy Bishkek, April 8, 2014). Similarly, Moscow might pressure Bishkek to drop the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, arguing that it contradicts Kyrgyzstan’s obligations toward the other EEU members.

To date, the Kremlin has seemed indifferent toward this particular railway project. Indeed, while in talks with Chinese leaders during a bilateral summit in Moscow on May 8, 2015, Russian officials assured their counterparts that the aims of the EEU and China’s Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative—of which the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway line is an integral part—do not contradict each other. Russia has also stepped up efforts to promote itself as a bridge between China and Europe by agreeing to build a Moscow–Kazan–Beijing high-speed-train line in the future (Thebricspot.com, May 9).

Yet, despite Moscow’s apparent open attitude, some Russian analysts openly argue against the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway line by claiming that it runs counter to Russia’s own efforts to position itself as the bridge between Asia and Europe. If realized, they claim, this railroad project will weaken Russia’s regional and perhaps global influence (Vestnik Kavkaza, September 29).

The commissioning of the Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan–China natural gas pipeline in 2009 is illustrative of such fears. It deprived Russia of its monopsony status in the Central Asian gas markets, forcing it to agree to a higher purchasing price. More importantly, access to Central Asian gas provided the Chinese government with additional leverage in its protracted negotiations over the purchase of Russian gas (The Diplomat, December 23, 2014).

The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railroad’s potential hurdles are not limited to Kyrgyzstan’s EEU membership, however. Bilateral disputes between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan related to border demarcation, trans-boundary river usage, gas supply disputes, or growing state-condoned discrimination against the ethnic-Uzbek minority in Kyrgyzstan, can also act as spoilers for this important railway project.

Tellingly, Kyrgyzstani officials recently unilaterally renamed the railway the “China–Kyrgyzstan line,” thus symbolically excluding Uzbekistan (Gezitter.org, March 3). Proposals also exist to opt for a China–Kyrgyzstan–Tajikistan–Afghanistan–Iran route (Gezitter.org, September 8), with the same goal of excluding Uzbekistan.

Kyrgyzstan’s internal north-south divide is another obstacle to quickly building the railway. First of all, authorities in Bishkek want the proposed railroad to connect the north and the south of the mountainous country, which will be much longer and more costly to build than the route currently proposed by the Chinese side that is to cross mainly through southern Kyrgyzstan in an east–west direction (Vechernyy Bishkek, February 6, 2013).

Behind the rhetoric of overcoming the geographical divide between northern and southern parts of the country, there lurks the fear that if the railway runs only through southern Kyrgyzstan, southern Kyrgyz elites will grow more economically powerful compared to northern political clans. The north-south rivalry remains a potential trigger for instability, especially after the bloody overthrow, in 2010, by northern political groups of former president Kurmnabek Bakiyev, whose power base was located in southern Kyrgyzstan.

Second, cash-strapped Kyrgyzstan expects Chinese companies to foot the bill and to be more lenient in setting the terms and conditions for the exploitation of the railway line. However, some observers caution that Kyrgyzstan’s government might be overplaying its hand with China (see EDM, February 13, 2014). In other words, Bishkek’s belief that Beijing will agree to all its demands because, as Kyrgyzstan’s authorities claim, “China needs Kyrgyzstan more than it needs China” is misguided. For China, commercial benefits not geopolitical calculations are at the center of its regional considerations.

At the same time, Kyrgyzstan’s authorities will need to acknowledge that without Uzbekistan’s participation, the proposed railway line loses its strategic importance. Indeed, all other alternative routes bypassing Uzbekistan are doomed to fail, not only due to the higher initial costs, but also because of security-related challenges in some transit countries of the region.


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

*Kyrgyz Pres Atambayev vows to boost China-Kyrgyzstan railway project*

Kyrgyz President Atambayev on Thursday voiced the support for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan railway.

He said Kyrgyzstan would like to set a transfer station at the entrance of the railway in Kyrgyzstan in the Narun region near the border with China.

In response to a question concerning the Belt and Road Initiative, he also said his country very much appreciates the support and assistance of China.

SOUNDBITE(RUSSIAN)ALMAZBEK ATAMBAYEV, Kyrgyz President

"And when Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Initiative, Kyrgyzstan was the first country in Central Asia that expressed support for it."


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## Boppard (Aug 13, 2015)

will it be a high speed rout? Also Kyrgystan is on the mountains. Don't you think it will be difficult?


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

Boppard said:


> will it be a high speed rout? Also Kyrgyzstan is on the mountains. Don't you think it will be difficult?


it is mainly for freight transportation, HSR will be too expensive because of the terrain.


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## Boppard (Aug 13, 2015)

^^ are you from Kyrgyzstan? How is the railway situation in Kyrgyzstan? Is it possible to build such roads although the country is on the mountains?


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

Boppard said:


> ^^ are you from Kyrgyzstan? How is the railway situation in Kyrgyzstan? Is it possible to build such roads although the country is on the mountains?


No I'm not 

I think the main issue is the route selection. Kyrgyzstan railway network seems quite outdated.... building new railway needs a lot money and construction experience, both of which China have.


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

*China-Kyrgyz-Uzbek railway route to be finalized in April*

Hope it is real this time:cheers:

http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/01-17/288816.shtml

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway route will be determined in April 2018, participants at tripartite talks decided in Tashkent in late December, The Times of Central Asia, a Kyrgyzstan-based outlet, reported on Saturday.

The meeting discussed the timing of the project, sources of financing and the development of its feasibility study.

According to reports, Kyrgyzstan has suggested that the $5 billion railroad should run through the southern regions of the country to contribute to the development of its trade and economic relations.

President of Kyrgyzstan Sooronbai Jeenbekov called the project historic and strategically important when he visited Tashkent in December.

"The more trains will travel through a larger number of settlements, the greater will be the benefits for the economic development of the country," Jeenbekov said.

"The railway will contribute to the development of the Osh province in the south of Kyrgyzstan, and create new jobs," he added.

According to China's Ministry of Commerce, Jeenbekov said in October that the railroad would not only promote China-Kyrgyz-Uzbek relations, but also strengthen trade ties with Turkmenistan and Iran and provide access to the Indian Ocean.

The construction of the railway fully meets the interests of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Its early construction will help increase the attractiveness of Central Asia as the most profitable and efficient transit corridor in the region, the Uzbek UzTAG news agency said.

The possibility of constructing the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has been under discussion for many years. In 2002, China proposed that the route was to travel to Uzbekistan through the Torugart Pass, located in Southern Kyrgyzstan. The length of the route across Kyrgyzstan was 268 km.

In 2012, Kyrgyzstan presented its project, according to which, the route would run through more areas in the south of the country, with the route increased to 380 km.


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## lookback718 (Jun 26, 2012)

tjrgx said:


> Hope it is real this time:cheers:
> 
> http://www.ecns.cn/business/2018/01-17/288816.shtml
> 
> ...



I hope it's for real this time, as this railway has made a lot of sense for decades and it's crucial for China's BRI.

I wonder what route it will take and if there will be any coal mine development linked to financing the railway. 

I made a map of some of the potential routes and will briefly mention some of the pro's and cons of each.[/QUOTE]

https://imgur.com/a/kpsdG

1 Kashgar - Irkeshtam - Sary Tash - This was originally China's preferred route, presumably as it's the cheapest way to get to Osh and the Fergena valleys' railway network. This route has the advantage of being economical on the basis of transit traffic, could be extended to Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan via Karamyk (another railway project). It's disadvantage is that it does not really meet Kyrgyz needs to link and develop internally. [Not shown on Map]

2 Kashgar - Torugart - Uzgen - Osh - PINK line. It's advantage is that it meets the Krygz demand that the line cross the boarder at Tourguart Pass, whilst being the cheapest and most direct route meeting this criteria. Disadvantage is that it does not go through any Krygz population centres. 

3 Toruguart -(Kazarman or nearby) - Jalal-Abad - ORANGE line. Similar to the pink line, but has the potential to link to Biskek, should the Balykchy - Kochkor- Kara-Keche Coal mine proposed railway line processed. More expensive than other options.

4 Toruguart - At-Bashy - Naryn - Dostuk - Kazarman - Jalal-Abad - PURPLE line. This is the prefered Krygz routing as far as I can see, and would link Naryn and potential coal deposits located nearby, with China and the Fergana valley. This is also the longest and most expensive route and there have been questions if linking rural Kyrgyzstan by railway is economically justified.

5 Balykchy - KochKor- (Chaek?) - Kara-Keche - Ugut - Kazarman (or direct to Kazarman) - Joins other lines at Kazarman on to Jalal-Abad. GREEN / RED line. The red section from Balykchy - Kochkor is partially constructed dating from more than 20 years ago I think. The green section to Kara-Keche is assumed to be economically viable and as the cost of freight for coal to Bishkek by road is very high.

As to which route gets built, that's an open question. If Krygzstan wants to allow China to develop the Kara-Keche coal mine, then I could see the Green Line, as well as the Orange being built, with these linking up near Kazarman. If coal mines at Naryn were also used to secure finance, then the purple line is an option. The gauge that is used 1435 or 1520 will also impact negotiations, with China very keen to use 1435. 

Access to coal mines, will be politically challenging in Kyrgyzstan. In recent years China has invested in industrial parks and has sought to be seen as a creator of jobs, no doubt in an effort to help ease public concerns. China and Kyrgyzstan have also stepped by para-military cooperation which could help deal with any civil disturbances too.


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## lookback718 (Jun 26, 2012)




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## lookback718 (Jun 26, 2012)

The Qazaq Times has published a new map and news report about the Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan - China railway.

http://qazaqtimes.com/en/article/32135










This map shows the route as being:

Kashgar --> Irkeshtam --> (Sary Tash) --> Osh --> Andijan [where it would connect to the well developed Uzbek railway network and tie in with the recently completed and Chinese back and partially built Angren-Pop railway. 

Note that this article, seemingly uses the terms 'railway' and highway/road interchangeably, so it's not entirely clear if the article and map refers to a railway or highway. In any case we should know around April when there is a tripartite meeting that is supposed to finalise the route (after 20 odd years!).

A few comments on the route shown above:

- It's reportedly the cheapest option and was originally China's prefered route.
- It has the benefit of being fully economically feasible and will easily pay for itself, so the debt risks to Krygzstan are minimised.
- From Sary Tash a branch could head to Tajikistan / Afghanistan / Iran as part of a 5 nation railway that is supposed to be constructed over the next 5 years.
- It leaves open the option of a future Bishkek - Balykchy - Kochkor - Chaek - Kara-Keche / Min Kush (coal mine development) - Kazarman - Jalal-Abad - Osh line which would tie Bishkek and the South of Kyrgyzstan with Kyrgyzstan's Fergana region. This future extension which is more contentious could initially be serviced by a road, while freight volumes are built and feasibility is demonstrated. China is currently constructing a road in the Kazarman / Min Kush / Jalal-Abad area, known as the China road, possible for this purpose.

Other points worth noting. Uzbek - Kyrgyz relations are rapidly and substantially improving, with Kyrgyzstan recently allowing tourist trains access to the Kyrgyzstan rail network. These trains will run overnight from Tashkent to Balykchy where tourist will be able to enjoy the beautiful Issyk Kul. The agreement also provides concessions for Uzbekistan for tourist lodgings. 

The China- Kyrgyzstan - Tajikistan - Afghanistan - Iran railway seems to be getting some momentum, and this may provide some catalyst for Kyrgyzstan to reach an agreement with Uzbekistan and China on their joint railway. 

Here is to hoping China gets Western access from Kashgar to Central/South Asia across the mighty Tien Shan / Palmir / Karakoram mountain ranges, because without rail access across these mountains, the Belt and Road Initiative is going to struggle to get off the ground in the heartland of Eurasia.


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

Construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad to be started next year, Kyrgyz president







en.kabar.kg





*Bishkek, May 30, 2022. / Kabar /. *The construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad will be started the next year, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov told Kabar Agency on Monday.

In an exclusive interview President Zhaparov said that it has been 20 years since we want to built this railway, but it didn't start at all.

“There is a good saying in Kyrgyzstan, "One who can't put on a needle, he blames a needle." So far, no one has been able to explain to the Russian side that we need this railway as an air and water. Recently, during a recent visit to the CSTO summit, I talked with Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) for half an hour. In the end, he understood that we need this railway as an air and water, and expressed his position that they have no objections and if we need it, we can build it. God willing, we will start next year when the feasibility study is completed this year. The feasibility study is being prepared with the participation of three parties. If this road is built, we will leave the "abyss" and become a transit state. There will be jobs. Our economy will boom. After Kumtor, we will have another source of funding, which will help us get rid of the worries about how to repay our foreign debt. The road ahead is straight. Our future is bright. As long as there is peace, everything will be fine,” the Kyrgyz president said.


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## OnRail123 (10 mo ago)

tjrgx said:


> Construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad to be started next year, Kyrgyz president
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Interesting. Another landlocked country wants to become land-linked, a la Laos. Fortuitous for them to get the blessing.


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## RyukyuRhymer (Sep 23, 2007)

I'm hoping that the railway would better connect Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan politically and economically and reduce their history of, at times, tense relations.
Fortunately Uzbekistan's current leader seems more approachable than the previous one.


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

Japarov proposes signing the agreement on construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway in Samarkand


On July 30, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi.




kun.uz




On July 30, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov received the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi.

According to the press service of the President of Kyrgyzstan, at the meeting, Japarov drew attention to the implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction project, which carries huge importance in further developing trade relations.

He suggested signing the relevant document during the September summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Samarkand.

Japarov noted that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway would be an important addition to President Xi Jinping’s One Belt, One Road initiative. 

Member of the State Council, Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted that the Chinese side is ready to conduct a feasibility study involving three parties.

“Thus, the process of implementing this project is already starting. Taking into account the desire of both the Kyrgyz and Uzbek sides, we are ready to explore the possibilities of concluding a trilateral document on this project at the upcoming summit in September in Samarkand,” he said.


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

Feasibility study of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project kicks off: NDRC - Global Times







www.globaltimes.cn




At Kyrgyzstan's invitation, Chinese experts arrived in the Central Asian country on Tuesday and started survey work for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, marking the start of the project's feasibility study, China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on its official WeChat account.

Since the beginning of this year, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project has made positive progress thanks to the joint efforts of the three countries, NDRC said.


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## OnRail123 (10 mo ago)

This is pretty exciting. Hope Kyrgyzstan will go along with the shorter route to wrap this up quickly. While not ideal for Kyrgyzstan, one bird in hand is better than two in the bush.









From https://www.tinn.ir/Section-railway...n-via-kyrgyzstan-is-the-faster-rail-link-real


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## tjrgx (Oct 12, 2013)

Construction of CKU railway. 80 Chinese specialists arrive in Kyrgyzstan







en.kabar.kg




80 specialists arrived in Kyrgyzstan from China, and work began on the feasibility study for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, the Ministry of Transport and Communications reported Friday.

Transport Minister of Kyrgyzstan Erkinbek Osoev met with representatives of the first design and survey institute of the Chinese Railway Construction Corporation, headed by senior engineer Geng Jun.

During the meeting, the parties noted the need to strengthen work in the construction of railroads. In particular, work is under way to actively promote the implementation of a joint project for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.

"There is already an agreement on the joint development of a feasibility study for the construction of the railroad. The Kyrgyz leadership is determined to implement the project as soon as possible, so the Ministry of Transport and Communication is making every effort to develop the feasibility study of the project," the report said.

80 specialists from the design institute of the People's Republic of China have already arrived in Kyrgyzstan and the work on the feasibility study has started.


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## VITORIA MAN (Jan 31, 2013)

KG | 2016-07-10 | Zhel-Arik by Thomas Kabisch, en Flickr


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