China's Rail Line Into Central Asia Is Set for 2031

OilPrice.com · Eurasianet · 2026-11-04 18:00 UTC

China's Central Asia railway has 28 of 29 tunnels underway as Chinese firms push into solar, wind, lithium and robotaxis across the region.

Construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is steadily advancing, with work underway on 28 of the 29 planned tunnels and 47 of 50 bridges along the route’s roughly 305-kilometer Kyrgyz section, according to Kyrgyz Railways, a partner in the project. About 22 percent of total construction work is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with tunnel excavation currently 21.5 percent complete, earthworks 67 percent complete and bridge pile foundations 95 percent complete, the project’s deputy director general said. The first tunnel, “Kosh-Dobo-2,” was fully excavated in August, and the first bridge structures are expected to be installed in 2027. The railway is officially scheduled to launch operations in 2031, though contractors are striving to finish work earlier. Once complete, the roughly 530-kilometer line will provide China with a shorter, faster, and cheaper rail route into Central Asia and onward markets.

Kyrgyzstan announced that construction is set to begin in Manas on a new airport designed to handle air cargo. With the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway running through Manas, the new airport facility is envisioned as a key cog in a major air, rail, and road freight network.

Central Asia

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