The gentle breeze of Lake Issyk Kul is about to blow through this hot land with the roar of trains. On June 16th, in the picturesque Issyk Kul region of Kyrgyzstan, a simple yet solemn groundbreaking ceremony kicked off the construction of the Barerkchi Tamchi Chorponata railway. This is not only the laying of a railway track, but also a solid step taken by this Central Asian country towards the National Development Plan before 2030, indicating that a regional economic revitalization triggered by transportation reform is coming.

Break through the bottleneck of north-south transportation

For a long time, the transportation around Lake Issyk Kul has mainly relied on highways. With the explosive growth of the tourism industry in the region and the landing of large-scale investment projects, the single road transportation has become exhausted. The newly built railway has a total length of about 86 kilometers and will be constructed in stages. Firstly, it will connect Barecki and Tamchi, and then extend to Jorponatata.

The strategic significance of this project goes far beyond shortening the distance. According to the design, after the railway is fully put into operation, the annual freight capacity will reach up to 5 million tons. More importantly, this railway does not exist in isolation. According to the Kyrgyz Railway Company, this is the first step in building a railway system around Lake Issyk Kul, which will continue to be extended to Karakol in the future. In the long run, the project plans to integrate into the national unified railway transportation system, and even has the potential to connect with the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan international railway corridor, thereby significantly enhancing Kyrgyzstan's position in the international transportation map.

Activate the economic vitality along the route

In President Sadr Zaparov's blueprint, this railway is the key to activating the regional economy. The railway will directly serve a series of flagship investment projects along the line, including the under construction Asman New City, Alatau Resort Ski Cluster, Tamchi five-star hotel, Kalkla year-round complex, and ROX Issyk Kul solar power station.

Economics PhD Sagan Chalbayeva analyzed that railway transportation, known for its high energy efficiency, is a booster for economic development. The opening of railways will greatly simplify the transportation process of building materials and large equipment, and reduce logistics costs. Meanwhile, with the improvement of transportation accessibility, it is expected that a large amount of domestic and foreign capital will flow into Issyk Kul. During the construction phase alone, the project will create over 400 job opportunities and provide over 200 long-term stable positions after operation, effectively improving the living standards of local residents.

Building a new pattern of air rail intermodal transportation

In addition to freight transportation, this railway will also profoundly change the travel experience for tourists. A major highlight of the project is the seamless integration with Lake Issyk Kul International Airport. This means that future passengers who land at the airport can quickly transfer to trains to travel to tourist destinations such as Barecki and Jorponatat, and vice versa.keywords:Foreign engineering construction news

This air rail intermodal transportation model will integrate scattered transportation nodes into a modern multimodal transportation hub, forming a unified transportation space. Experts emphasize that this shift in mode can not only significantly shorten travel time, but also effectively reduce the flow of cars on highways. This not only alleviates road congestion, but also has positive significance for protecting the fragile ecological environment of Lake Issyk Kul. With the railway sharing the transportation pressure, Lake Issyk Kul will regain tranquility and nature, achieving a win-win situation of economic prosperity and green sustainable development.Editor/Yang Meiling