BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, November 7. The projected capacity of the Kyrgyzstan-China-Uzbekistan railway has increased to 10–12 million tons of cargo per year, said the chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Akylbek Japarov, to local media, Trend reports.
"Initially, the forecast capacity of the railway was 7-8 million tons, but now it has grown to 10-12 million tons," Japarov said.
He also mentioned that the final stage of negotiations for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project is currently underway.
"We are in talks about this project. The general contractor for the project is China Railway. The construction will be based on a public-private partnership. The capital will come from investments by China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, with China contributing the largest share," he explained.
Japarov stated that Kyrgyzstan will receive the railway section if the project breaks even in 30-35 years. However, there is also an assumption that the payback period could be as long as 49 years.
According to the country's budget, Kyrgyzstan plans to allocate $130.5 million to the charter capital of the joint project company for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway from 2025 to 2027.
China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on June 6, 2024, to support the implementation of the railway project and resolve financing issues. The Kyrgyz Parliament ratified the agreement on June 19, and President Sadyr Zhaparov signed it on June 27.
The railway is expected to be 486 km long, with about 312 km of the track running through Kyrgyzstan.