A railway "Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China"  is planned for contruction (Karasu-Jalal-Abad-Makmal-Arpa-Torugart-Kashgar)

 

 

Annotation. This article examines the new railroad project – the railway Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China.

Author considers the key aspects of the transport strategy of Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China in modern conditions.

 

 

Railway construction has been an important part of every country's life since the beginning of time. This is a highly serious area of construction, which involves not only the design of future railways and the execution of construction work, but also the actual commissioning of railways.

 

We will discuss the Karasu-Jalal-Abad-Makmal-Arpa-Torugart-Kashgar railway project, linking Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China in today's article.

 

 

The projected railway line "Karasu-Jalal-Abad-Makmal-Arpa-Torugart-Kashgar" will new and shortest transit corridors, connecting the largest markets of Southeast Asia with the markets of the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

 

The branch will start in China, pass through the territory of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and then the highway will be connected with routes to Turkmenistan or Kazakhstan.

 

From there, the cargo can be delivered to ports in the Caspian Sea, which will make it possible to send cargo to Europe faster than it is now.

 

In the future, a branch to the Middle East and the Indian Ocean is also planned.

 

The road will open the markets of China and Uzbekistan for each other. For Kyrgyzstan, this is a way out of the transport impasse and completely new trade and economic opportunities.

 

Now the main flow of rail freight from China to Europe goes through the territory of Kazakhstan, and then through Russia and Belarus.

 

But this is, firstly, too big a hook, which slows down the delivery of orders.

 

Secondly, given the current geopolitical situation and the military conflict that Moscow unleashed in Ukraine, it is becoming increasingly difficult for drivers and transport companies to work on routes that pass-through Russia and Belarus.

 

The new path could significantly change the structure of the Eurasian transport network.

 

 

The construction of the railway will make it possible to form new and shortest transit corridors, connecting the largest markets of Southeast Asia with the markets of the CIS countries, China and Europe.

 

In general, the implementation of the project will make it possible to reduce the time and cost of cargo transportation by 30-40%.

 

Estimated traffic volumes in the first years of operation can grow up to 3 million tons per year, and by 2030 - exceed 15 million tons per year.

 

The situation is simplified by the fact that China and Uzbekistan already have their own developed railway lines. In fact, it remains only to connect them through Kyrgyzstan.

 

To do this, it is necessary to build about three hundred kilometers of track: from the Chinese Kashgar to the Uzbek Andijan.

 

There were two versions of the route. Kyrgyzstan insists on the option Torugart - Arpa - Makmal - Jalal-Abad. This is 280 kilometers of track, which covers more stations.

 

Uzbekistan and China offer the route Torugart - Arpa - Kara-Suu. It is shorter than the first one by 8 kilometers and will cost a little cheaper.

 

 

At present, the parties have agreed to build a railway line along the combined route Karasu-Jalal-Abad-Makmal-Arpa-Torugart-Kashgar.

 

Preliminary data of the feasibility study show that the construction will take place in high-altitude areas of the area.

 

Due to the difficult mountainous terrain, 48 tunnels with a total length of 48.9 km will have to be drilled. Among them are Fergana (14.1 km), Torugart (3.4 km), Kurshab (1.7 km).

 

It will also require the construction of such large engineering structures as bridges, sidings, precinct and transfer stations.

 

The total length of the PRC-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will be 523 km - 213 km will pass through the territory of China, 260 km - through Kyrgyzstan, 50 km - in Uzbekistan.

 

The cost of the road is estimated at about $5 billion, but so far neither side has announced its readiness to invest in them.

 

And for Uzbekistan, and even more so for Kyrgyzstan, this is not a cheap project.

 

China is also not yet ready to fully take on the financing itself - it believes that Asian countries should take an equal part in both financing and implementing the project.

 

 

A separate story is the track width.

 

In China, it is 1435 mm: this is a common standard in the world.

 

The railways of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have a "Russian" track: its width is 1520 mm.

 

The solution will be the construction of an unloading station where two tracks join.

 

The , most likely, will appear in the city of Kazarman on the border of the Naryn and Jalal-Abad regions of Kyrgyzstan.

 

In conclusion, I would like to note that, firstly, the implementation of the railway project will significantly reduce the route from East Asia to the countries of the Middle East and Southern Europe - up to 900 kilometers, as well as the delivery time of goods - by 7-8 days.

 

Secondly, one of the main beneficiaries of the railway will be Kyrgyzstan, since its implementation will about 20 thousand jobs in the country, the volume of transported goods in the future may increase to 15 million tons.

 

per year with revenues of $200 million

 

 

 

 

Provide by Ayattillo Sharustamov of Uzbekistan