🇰🇬 🇨🇳 🇺🇿 InfraIndex #7: China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway secures full financing for US$4.7bn corridor project

On 16 December 2025 in Bishkek, a credit agreement was signed to complete the financing of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan (CKU) railway, a major cross-border rail corridor connecting western China with Central Asia. The agreement was concluded between the joint project company China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway Company LLC and a syndicate of Chinese banks, including the China Development Bank and the Export–Import Bank of China. The total project cost is estimated at US$4.7 billion, of which approximately US$2.3 billion will be provided by China as a 35-year loan, while the remaining US$2.3 billion will be contributed as equity by the three participating states (China 51%, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan 24.5% each). Kyrgyz authorities confirmed that full financial closure, required by 20 December 2025, has already been achieved. The railway will be one of the most technically complex in the region, featuring 50 bridges and 29 tunnels totalling 120 km, with 304 km of track running across Kyrgyzstan.

This milestone marks the transition of the CKU railway from political commitment to executable infrastructure and has major implications for Eurasian trade. The corridor establishes a new, direct land route between China and Central Asia, strengthening the Middle Corridor and reducing reliance on northern routes. From a CO₂ perspective, the project supports a shift from road to electrified rail across mountainous terrain. The project signals long-term commitment by all three governments to a strategically important corridor.