By train and without passing through Russia. After the recent visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Kyrgyzstan, those responsible for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway line announced the successful drilling of a key tunnel, opening possibilities in a long-stalled project. Conceived in 1997, this 500-kilometer railway aims to offer the shortest land route from the Asian giant to the Middle East and Europe.
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The announcement is of a key tunnel considered an emblematic project of the Chinese “Belt and Road” initiative, regarded as a modern version of the Silk Road. This 210-meter tunnel is the first to be completed in the Kyrgyz section since large-scale works began in 2025. The overall progress of this section has already reached 17%.
Once completed, the CKU railway line will extend over more than 500 kilometers, of which 305 will run through Kyrgyz territory. It will connect the city of Kashgar, in China’s Xinjiang region, with Andijan, in Uzbekistan, crossing the mountains of Kyrgyzstan along the way.
This new railway line will constitute the shortest land route from China to the Middle East and Europe, establishing a new and vital trade corridor that avoids passing through Russia. Compared to the current China-Europe express railway service, the CKU line is expected to reduce transit times by up to eight days. Currently, the three main routes between China and Europe pass through Russia or Kazakhstan.
According to the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, China’s southern province of Xinjiang will directly benefit from this new opening to the west. The same will happen with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, both landlocked countries, which will gain direct access to the markets of China and the Asia-Pacific region.
As the project progresses, construction has already begun on 27 tunnels, 43 bridges, and 88 railway platform sections. According to the Chinese news agency Xinhua, 20 train stations are also being built along the route.
Last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Kyrgyzstan. Both countries issued a joint statement committing to ensure that the project’s construction proceeds smoothly. The CKU line was initiated in 1997, at a time when China was accelerating its economic opening and expanding its projection beyond its borders.
However, it suffered delays for decades due to a series of obstacles, ranging from topographical limitations and technical disagreements over track gauge to geopolitical sensitivity issues. Since then, many of these obstacles have been overcome and agreements reached. Kyrgyzstan, for its part, has increasingly sought alternative sources of foreign investment.
Currently, the CKU railway is expected to be operational by June 2031. However, some parts seem more interested than others in completing the project sooner. Then Uzbek Deputy Minister of Transport, Jasurbek Choriev, stated in June that his country aims to complete the railway line by 2028.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Central Asia inherited a railway network that, in many cases, left its newly independent states with transport infrastructure oriented more towards Moscow than the rest of the region. The CKU railway opens the possibility of constituting the key section of a “Central Corridor” connecting China with Iran, Turkey, and Europe.
The fact that freight transport companies are reluctant to send shipments through Russia, due to economic repercussions against Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine, could largely explain why the CKU initiative is gaining momentum now, as companies seek alternative routes westward from China.
In June 2024, Beijing, Bishkek, and Tashkent signed the intergovernmental agreement to advance the project. The financing of the work, estimated at 4.7 billion dollars, was finalized in December 2025, generating optimism in the three nations regarding regional connectivity, trade, and economic growth. Once completed, the railway is expected to become a fundamental strategic asset of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
From China’s perspective, the CKU project constitutes a strategic route that diversifies its trade channels and strengthens land access to Central Asia and beyond. Construction was officially inaugurated on December 27, 2024, in Kyrgyzstan, and main works progressed throughout 2025, including key tunnel works.
For Uzbekistan, the railway could serve as a fundamental link for trade and transit. Tashkent aims to integrate the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan line with existing international transport networks, including connections through Iran and Turkey.
