On February 19, the National Investment Agency (NIA) under the President of Kyrgyzstan hosted the signing of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement for the Trans-Eurasian Route project in a project sandbox format, Economist.kg reports.
The document was signed by the National Investment Agency, the state enterprise NC Kyrgyz Temir Zholu under the Ministry of Transport, and the consortium All American Rail Group Global Infrastructure Partner LLC.
NIA Director Talantbek Imanov emphasized that this is Kyrgyzstan’s first PPP railway project, marking a key step in the country’s transport infrastructure development. The Trans-Eurasian Route project envisions the construction of a new railway line from the village of Makmal, located on the border of the Naryn and Jalal-Abad regions, to the city of Karakol in the east of the country.
“The total investment is approximately $3 billion. The project will not only create new jobs but also significantly improve the transport network, ensuring long-term economic benefits for the country,” Imanov stated.
The project is expected to strengthen transport links with neighboring countries and enhance Kyrgyzstan’s competitiveness on the international stage.
Earlier, the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers approved the implementation of the PPP project for the development of the domestic railway network as part of the Trans-Eurasian Route. The corresponding decree was signed by Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev.
Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan is independently constructing the Balykchy-Kochkor railway branch. As of now, 37 km of tracks have been laid from Balykchy. According to the project, this branch will extend to the Kara-Keche coal deposit in the Naryn region.
At the end of 2024, construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway began in the Jalal-Abad region. This railway will extend to the settlement of Makmal, where a station is planned for track gauge adjustment. The gauge change is necessary because China uses a track width of 1435 mm, while in Central Asia, the standard is 1520 mm.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 19, 2025