The ambitious China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan (CKU) railway project has officially entered the stage of full-scale construction. This was highlighted in the year-end report by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic, reports Akchabar.kg.
According to clarified data from the Ministry, the establishment of temporary construction facilities has been completed along the primary route (which spans approximately 312 km within Kyrgyzstan). Key milestones achieved to date include:
- 11 major construction camps are now fully operational, housing workers and engineering staff.
- Temporary access roads have been laid to facilitate the movement of heavy machinery.
- Electrification of all primary construction sites has been finalized.
Due to the high-altitude alpine terrain, the CKU project is regarded as one of the most complex engineering feats in the world. A pivotal achievement of the past year is the commencement of underground works:
- Tunnels: Boring operations have started across all planned sections. The project includes dozens of tunnels with a total combined length exceeding 50 km.
- Bridges: Preparatory work is underway for the construction of over 50 bridges, designed to connect high-altitude segments of the track.
The completion of the CKU railway is expected to shorten the transport route from China to Europe and the Persian Gulf by 900 km, reducing travel time by 7–8 days. For Kyrgyzstan, this project marks a historic transition from a landlocked territory into a vital transit hub for Central Asia.
CentralasianLIGHT.org February 6, 2026