First China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Freight Train Departs

The first freight train from Hubei Province to follow the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan multimodal route set off from the Ujiashan station in Wuhan, Central China on July 16. The route combines rail and road transportation across international borders, People’s Daily Online reports.

Train No. 75179, loaded with food-grade containers and other goods, is expected to arrive in Kashgar, located in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. From there, containers will be transferred to road transport and exit China via the Irkeshtam border crossing, continuing on to their final destination in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.

Trade between Hubei and Central Asian countries has seen steady growth in recent years. In 2021, China Railway’s Wuhan division launched its first cargo train service to Almaty. As of April this year, regular freight routes from Wuhan to Central Asia were established, enabling monthly shipments of up to 440 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and more than 7,500 tonnes of goods.

According to Zhang Lin, a representative of the international logistics arm of the Hubei Railway Corporation, the new transport scheme allows goods from Hubei to reach Central Asian clients more quickly. The route reduces transport and insurance costs by 30%, while delivery times are halved from around 20 days to just 10.

Wuhan’s railway authorities stated that this new service offers an important opportunity to work with partners on streamlining procedures, expanding logistics networks and building efficient international freight corridors.

Kursiv also reports that China Southern began operating direct flights from Guangzhou to Tashkent on June 30, 2025.