Barecki on the west bank of Lake Issyk Kul is a quiet lakeside town in northern Kyrgyzstan. Starting from here, a steel artery is extending southward along the mountains, with the destination being Markmar. This railway not only carries the long-standing wish of Kyrgyzstan to connect north-south transportation, but also has high hopes of connecting the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway and integrating into the Eurasian logistics corridor.

Significant self built achievements have been made in the first phase of opening to traffic

On July 25, 2026, the first phase of the Barecki Markmar railway project, from Barecki to Kochkol, was officially opened. This route, with a total length of about 63 kilometers, was mainly constructed with domestic funds from Kyrgyzstan, with an actual cost of about 64 million US dollars. Previously, foreign companies had offered construction quotes ranging from 5 million to 8 million US dollars per kilometer. However, Kyrgyzstan ultimately chose to build on its own, which not only significantly reduced costs but also accumulated valuable experience for subsequent projects. Kochikol is now accessible by train, and local residents have felt the changes brought by the railway for the first time at their doorstep.

Tunnel bridges raise about 1 billion yuan in additional funding

Continuing south from Kochkor, the railway will pass through Karakche and reach Markmar. Currently, Kyrgyzstan is conducting feasibility studies on the subsequent sections. Zaparov admitted that the route to Karakche is relatively easy, but after extending from Karakche to Markmar, the terrain is extremely complex, requiring the excavation of a large number of tunnels and the construction of numerous bridges, and the construction cost will significantly increase. This is also the main reason why the subsequent section is expected to require approximately $1 billion in funding. The government of Kyrgyzstan is actively seeking investors, hoping to advance the construction period originally scheduled for 2035-2037 to 2032-2035.keywords:Engineering infrastructure

Integrate China, Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine into the international network

Markmar will be a replacement station for the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway. The total length of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Railway is about 523 kilometers, of which the section within Kyrgyzstan is about 304 kilometers, with a designed speed of 120 kilometers per hour. It is a dual-purpose standard gauge railway for both passenger and freight. After the completion of the Barecki Markmar railway, it will be connected to Markmar, and goods from China can be transported here via the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway, and then distributed to various parts of Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries. Kyrgyzstan will bid farewell to its isolated transportation island and truly integrate into the international railway network. Zaparov emphasized that striving to complete the construction of the China Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan railway at the same time is precisely to ensure the timely achievement of this strategic goal.Editor/Yang Meiling