China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Corridor May Open by 2028

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway corridor could be completed two years ahead of the original deadline, by 2028–2029 instead of 2030. The statement was made by TRACECA Secretary General and Deputy Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Jasurbek Choriev at a panel session of the Tashkent International Investment Forum.

According to Choriev, active construction on the line began in 2024. Uzbekistan has already allocated its own financial resources for the implementation of the project. Chinese technologies and equipment adapted to difficult terrain conditions are being used to lay the route through the mountainous landscape of Kyrgyzstan.

The projected cargo turnover along the new line will reach 15 million tons per year by 2032, with subsequent growth to 20 million tons by 2040. However, Choriev noted that all previous forecasts for the development of Uzbekistan's transport sector have generally proven to be overly conservative, as actual figures have consistently exceeded estimated values.

The strategic importance of the corridor is primarily determined by the geography of the route. The new line will reduce the distance between China and Europe by approximately 1,000 km, opening a shorter and more economical path compared to current routes. The Eurasian Development Bank estimates the growth potential of transit traffic in this direction to increase fivefold by 2030.

Eurasian Development Bank CEO Alexei Skatin confirmed the bank's interest in participating in the financing of the project. According to him, the corridor is among six of the ten largest transport and logistics projects in Central Asia directly connected to Uzbekistan, based on a database of 400 infrastructure initiatives compiled by the bank.

Mansur Bustoni, Senior Transport Specialist at the World Bank, called the corridor a key element in Uzbekistan's transition from a transit point to the central logistics hub of Central Asia. The World Bank views two corridors — the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan route and the Trans-Afghan route — together with the Trans-Caspian route of the Middle Corridor as a single system capable of radically changing the configuration of regional trade.

Construction is being carried out in mountainous terrain, which determines a significant volume of tunnel work and the use of specialized technologies. Forum participants noted that successful implementation of the project requires coordinated efforts from all three states — Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China — both at the level of technical standards and regarding border and regulatory procedures.

The technical and economic feasibility study for the railway corridor linking Uzbekistan to the seaports of Pakistan through the territory of Afghanistan is scheduled for completion by the end of this year. TRACECA Secretary General and Deputy Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Jasurbek Choriev announced this at a panel session of the Tashkent International Investment Forum.

The length of the route will be 649 km. The route will run through Afghanistan to the Pakistani ports of Karachi and Gwadar, providing Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states with access to the sea — an infrastructure that the region lacks due to its geographical position. Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct the feasibility study last year; the governments of all three countries have already allocated funding for field surveys.

The preliminary cost of the project is estimated at approximately US$7 billion. Choriev pointed out that a significant part of the route runs through mountainous areas: according to calculations, the length of the tunnels will exceed 100 km. The average cost of construction is estimated at US$4 million per kilometer on flat sections and more than US$10 million per kilometer in mountainous areas. An initial pre-investment review conducted by Ernst & Young in 2023 projects the cargo turnover along the corridor at 20 million tons per year by 2040.

The project is attracting growing interest from international investors. According to Choriev, negotiations on participation in financing are underway with representatives of the UAE and Qatar; Kazakh partners are also involved in the discussions. The Eurasian Development Bank has also confirmed its intention to consider participating in the project.

World Bank Senior Transport Specialist Mansur Bustoni characterized the Trans-Afghan corridor as the largest external growth potential for the entire transport system of the region. According to his assessment, the project, along with the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan corridor and the Trans-Caspian route of the Middle Corridor, is capable of transforming Uzbekistan from a transit point into a fully-fledged logistics hub for Central Asia. These three routes combined are considered structures sufficient to attract large-scale financing from international financial institutions and blended financing mechanisms.

Choriev emphasized the scale of the trade opportunity opened up by the corridor: the total volume of South Asian markets is estimated at approximately US$750 billion, while Central Asia's share in mutual trade with this region currently stands at about one percent. In a broader context, the implementation of the project is seen as a factor capable of giving momentum to trade between Central Asia, the CIS countries, and South Asia as a whole.

The Iranian direction, which was considered at earlier stages of development as an alternative exit to the sea through Iranian ports, was studied as part of a preliminary feasibility study, but it is currently not part of the active project design.