On May 26, 2026, the bidding announcement for geological survey supervision of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway (domestic section) was released, and the project is about to enter the feasibility study preliminary survey stage. The railway connects Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan in China, with a total length of about 542 kilometers, including about 167 kilometers within China. At present, the overseas section has started construction in December 2024, and the construction of the domestic section will be accelerated.

The total length of the domestic section is 167.875 kilometers

According to the announcement, the length of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway (domestic section) is 167.875 kilometers, and the survey and design plan is issued by China Railway Administration Group Co., Ltd. The tenderer is the Korla Railway Construction Command of China Railway Urumqi Group Co., Ltd. In early January of this year, China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co., Ltd. won the bid for the domestic section survey and design project. The bidding scope includes geological survey supervision and related coordination work during the deepening of geological work, preliminary survey, location survey, supplementary location survey, and engineering implementation stages.

The overseas section has started construction, with a total length of about 542 kilometers

The total length of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway (from Kashgar to Jalalabad to Andijan) is about 542 kilometers, including about 167 kilometers within China, about 305 kilometers within Kyrgyzstan, and about 70 kilometers within Uzbekistan (using existing lines). The construction of the Kyrgyzstan section has officially started in December 2024, with a planned construction period of 6 years. The section within the territory of Kyrgyzstan is a single track railway that uses diesel locomotives for traction (with electrification conditions reserved), with a designed speed of 120 kilometers per hour and 20 stations. Keywords: the Belt and Road news, China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway

Adopting the segmented mode of standard track and wide track

The Zhongjiwu Railway adopts a segmented mode of standard gauge and wide gauge. The standard gauge railway (1435mm) is used for the section from Kashgar, Xinjiang, China via Turgat to Markmar, Kyrgyzstan, and the wide gauge railway (1520mm) is used for the section from Markmar via Jalalabad to Andijan. The standard gauge wide gauge replacement yard is located in Markmar, Kyrgyzstan. The estimated total investment for the project is 4.7 billion US dollars, with China contributing 51% and Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine each contributing 24.5%. The construction of domestic sections is of positive significance for serving the development strategy of the the Belt and Road and promoting economic and social development along the line.Editor/Gao Xue