The coming spring will be a time of active work on the transcontinental railway that will pass through our country. Surveys in complex areas have been completed, and financial issues have been resolved, allowing us to move to the project implementation stage.
Regarding the prospects that this route opens for Kyrgyzstan, there are many discussions. This is not only access to the sea but also the shortest link between two leading transport systems of the continent. However, such statements do not fully reflect the scale of the significance of this project for the republic. It has the potential to radically change the development paradigm of the country, as transit opportunities are just the visible part of the spectrum.
This project will impact the entire logistics of Eurasia, creating unique conditions for the growth of domestic industry and technology imports. This will create a multiplicative effect, contributing to the development of other sectors of the economy and the emergence of new growth points. Experts emphasize that we are talking about a paradigm shift in development and a change in the geopolitical situation, opening new horizons.
Esan Usubaliev, Dean of the Faculty of International Relations at the Kyrgyz National University, emphasizes the need to prepare Kyrgyzstan for qualitatively new conditions of interaction with partners.
At the same time, the question arises about the country's readiness for the upcoming changes. An important direction is education — preparing specialists for vocational and higher educational institutions under new conditions.
The need for a new generation of qualified specialists becomes particularly relevant in the field of foreign policy, where knowledge in hydroenergy, water resource distribution, the energy complex, and, of course, transportation and digital technologies is required. Kyrgyzstan's participation in large projects requires appropriate personnel training,” adds Usubaliev.
It should be noted that the construction of the railway in Kyrgyzstan is unique due to the complex terrain. This is one of the most ambitious projects, where 311 kilometers of the route will pass through mountain ranges. Builders will have to construct 90 bridges and lay about 50 tunnels with a total length of over 200 kilometers.
The total cost of the project is $4.7 billion. Initially, it was planned that construction would take 5-6 years; however, modern technologies allow this period to be reduced to 3-4 years.
“The time frames are tightening and forcing the region to accelerate the implementation of infrastructure projects,” noted in an interview with IA “Kabar” Yue Hefu, a senior analyst in Chinese-Kyrgyz economic cooperation.
He added that “large-scale works” will begin in the spring of 2026.
According to the latest report on the progress of work, the length of the railway line is about 480 km, of which 311.75 km pass through the territory of Kyrgyzstan. The geological conditions in this area are very complex, as the route passes through the high mountains of the Tien Shan. More than 50 tunnels and 90 bridges are planned along the entire line, most of which are in difficult conditions. The tunnel through the Fergana Range and the Torugart tunnel are particularly challenging, with work continuing even in the winter of 2025. Builders used modern equipment to carry out work in critical areas.
With the rise in temperature in March 2026 and the thawing of permafrost, full-scale construction will begin. It is expected that this season more than 3,000 units of heavy machinery will be deployed to construction sites in the Naryn and Jalal-Abad regions, with the main task being to complete earthworks on the high-altitude Arpa plateau and construct the infrastructure for the Makmal transshipment station.
Thus, the spring of 2026 will mark the beginning of large-scale works and the largest “general battle” in the history of infrastructure development in Kyrgyzstan,” summarized Yue Hefu.
A professor from China also discussed the economic prospects for Kyrgyzstan after the launch of the railway, emphasizing that the country is on the verge of significant changes. The exit from the transport deadlock will create new economic opportunities, and experts are already seeing the outlines of the future.
“For a long time, the economic benefits of the KKU railway were perceived only as ‘transit fees’. Undoubtedly, this is a significant amount. According to conservative estimates, at the beginning of operation, cargo transportation will amount to 5 to 8 million tons per year, and in the long term will reach 13-15 million tons. This will allow the budget of Kyrgyzstan to receive about $200 million per year just from transit fees, creating a stable cash flow in the country’s economy.
However, focusing solely on transit fees underestimates the multiplicative effect of this railway.
Firstly, it is the “unlocking” of resources. The Naryn and Jalal-Abad regions, through which the road passes, are rich in reserves of gold, coal, and non-ferrous metals, but their extraction has been hampered by high transportation costs. For example, the Kara-Keche coal mine and adjacent energy enterprises will be able to gain cheap access to international markets thanks to the construction of the railway, turning “illiquid assets” into “working capital”.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the profits from the export of agricultural products. China, with a population of 1.4 billion people, represents a huge market. Previously, high-quality Kyrgyz products, such as honey, cherries, and meat, struggled to reach the Chinese market due to transportation times and losses. After the railway is completed, agricultural products will be able to reach Xinjiang in just 24 hours, and coastal cities in three days. This is a “golden corridor” that will allow Kyrgyz agriculture to undergo the process of “industrial modernization,” summarized Yue Hefu.
Kyrgyzstan is actively integrating into a new format of geoeconomic interaction, cooperating with its closest and historical partners. In recent years, the country has made significant progress in its development, and the next stage is to move to a new level.
