$4.7bn Financing Approved for China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway

A $4.7 bn financing agreement has been signed to support the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, paving the way for full-scale implementation of the cross-border infrastructure project.

The agreement was concluded between the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway Company and a consortium of Chinese lenders, including the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China. Under the deal, about $2.3 bn will be provided as a 35-year loan, while the remaining funds will be injected as equity into the project company.

China will hold a 51% stake in the joint venture, with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan each owning 24.5%.

Construction of the 486-kilometre single-track railway officially began on December 27, 2024. The line will run from Kashgar in China to the Torugart border crossing with Kyrgyzstan, continue through Makmal and Jalalabad, and terminate in Andijan, Uzbekistan. Designed for speeds of up to 120 km/h, the route will include 50 bridges and 29 tunnels, with provision for future electrification.

Once completed, the railway is expected to form a new freight transit corridor between China and Europe, with an annual capacity of up to 12 mln tonnes.

Kursiv Uzbekitan also reports Uzbekistan’s natural resource wealth is estimated at up to $79,000 per capita, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said, commenting on the country’s mineral potential amid growing global demand for strategic resources.