China, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan come to CKU line agreement

China, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have signed an agreement on the construction of the railway between the three countries. The document specifies financing, the route to be taken, operation and maintenance. Reportedly, construction will begin in October.  The three countries took part in an online signing ceremony on Thursday, 6 June. The agreement sets in stone…

NGOs express concerns over new Italy-China rail freight service

A new rail freight service for the import of agricultural product was recently established from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China to the Italian city of Salerno, near Naples. However, various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are saying that some of the cargo coming from the Chinese region may be the…

NGOs express concerns over new Italy-China rail freight service

A new rail freight service for the import of agricultural product was recently established from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China to the Italian city of Salerno, near Naples. However, various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are saying that some of the cargo coming from the Chinese region may be the…

New freight route connects China and Serbia

A new freight route between China and Serbia has started operating. The route connects the Chinese province of Hebei with Serbia’s capital Belgrade. The train service aims to increase connectivity between Europe and China as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Freight trains running on the newly established route will take twenty days…

Why is the U.S. gaining momentum in financing African railway projects?

The discussion regarding increasing rail competition between the U.S. and China in Africa is not new. Recent months have seen the unfolding of U.S.-led initiatives to finance and develop railway projects of great freight significance in the continent. At the same time, Chinese investments that have been a staple in the region for years seem […]

Kyrgyzstan struggles to find money for CKU line construction

Kyrgyzstan is looking for money to build its part of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway line. In an interview about the country’s debt situation, the president reassured the people that no unfeasible loans would be taken. Where the money for the CKU line is going to come from remains unclear. While Kyrgyzstan is willing to take […]