BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov took part in the capsule-laying ceremony marking the start of construction of the Balykchy–Tamchy–Cholpon-Ata railway during his working visit to the Issyk-Kul region on June 14, the Official website of President of Kyrgyzstan says.
The head of state reviewed the project details and inspected the restored railway section between Balykchy station and the Balykchy Beach stop. He also traveled along the route on a railcar.
In his remarks, Japarov said Kyrgyzstan's rail sector had achieved record results, with freight transportation reaching 10 million tons in 2025, up 36 percent from 2021, while passenger traffic increased by 70 percent to 432,000 people.
He highlighted the ongoing construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway and plans to develop the Balykchy–Kochkor–Kara-Keche–Makmal line to strengthen domestic connectivity.
According to Japarov, the new 86-kilometer Balykchy–Tamchy–Cholpon-Ata railway will be integrated with Issyk-Kul International Airport, creating a modern multimodal transport and logistics hub. The project is expected to handle up to 5 million tons of cargo annually and boost tourism and regional development.
More than 400 jobs will be created during construction and over 200 permanent positions after the railway becomes operational.
Japarov also defended the involvement of foreign specialists in major infrastructure projects, stressing that international expertise is needed in areas where Kyrgyzstan still lacks sufficient experience, while local engineers are being trained to implement similar projects independently in the future.
He concluded that the railway project would contribute significantly to the country's economic growth, tourism sector and transport infrastructure development.
