On March 2, 2026, Uzbekistan Railway Container Company announced that the first full freight train from China to Tajikistan, operated by UTK International Logistics Co., Ltd., a joint venture between China and Uzbekistan, has been successfully launched. This marks the pilot operation of a new cross-border multimodal transport channel between China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, adding another important pole to China's international logistics map of direct access to Central Asia.

This train is carrying 8 40 foot containers, fully loaded with daily consumer goods and engineering machinery equipment. It departs from Lanzhou, Gansu, passes through Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and finally arrives at Dushanbe No.2 Railway Station in the capital of Tajikistan. The total length of the route exceeds 3500 kilometers, with a running time of only 18-20 days. With the support of countries along the route, tariff preferential policies are implemented, and logistics efficiency and cost advantages are significant.

This channel is an important implementation project of the regional cooperation agreement between Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Tajikistan, and will operate in a pilot mode on a regular basis. As a hub for the Chinese side, UTK International Logistics has established a distribution center in the Lanzhou Special Economic Zone and reached a strategic cooperation with Gansu International Logistics Group to simultaneously expand transit transportation routes to Turkmenistan, forming a cross-border logistics network with one main and multiple branches covering four Central Asian countries.

In July 2025, China and Ukraine jointly established UTK International Logistics, with the core goal of integrating railway resources along the route, optimizing cross-border transportation organization, and enhancing the stability and competitiveness of the China Central Asia freight corridor. With the opening of new channels, China's Northwest Land Port has achieved direct connection with the Central Asian market, effectively addressing the shortcomings of traditional routes with long detours and low delivery times. This provides a safe, efficient, and low-cost cross-border solution for goods such as construction machinery, building materials, daily consumer goods, and electronic appliances.

The industry pointed out that the connection of this new channel not only strengthened the economic and trade ties between China and Central Asian countries, helped regional connectivity and capacity cooperation, further improved the the Belt and Road international logistics framework, and improved China's ability to open up to the west and supply chain resilience. With the maturity of the pilot program and the increase in frequency, a golden logistics corridor running through the hinterland of Northwest China and Central Asia is accelerating its formation, injecting lasting momentum into the economic and trade prosperity along the route.Editor/Bian Wenjun