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…
Category: Uzbekistan
Tajikistan looking for 7,5 billion dollars in funding for rail
Tajikistan seems to be hopping onto the bandwagon for rail infrastructure in Central Asia. The country is looking for 7,5 billion dollars (7 billion euros) in investments for its rail network. The Tajik rail infrastructure is underdeveloped yet crucial for the country’s international trade. At an economic forum in the Russian city of Kazan, the…
Middle Corridor countries discussing 50% tariff discount
The Middle Corridor is too expensive as a competitive alternative to other transport corridors that connect Europe and China. In an effort to boost the route’s attractiveness, involved countries are now discussing a fifty per cent discount on tariffs along the route. Five countries that are part of the Middle Corridor are currently taking part…
Construction on CKU line to start in October 2024
Construction on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) rail line will start in October 2024, according to Kyrgyz president Sadyr Zhaparov. Negotiations on the line have been long ongoing, and many uncertainties around financing remain. The CKU line is supposed to shorten travel times between China and Europe by 8 days and reduce the distance by 900 kilometres.…
What spurs the international effort to bridge Afghanistan via rail?
Countries in Afghanistan’s vicinity have grown an interest in developing its rail infrastructure. More and more projects are being launched, or are at the very least being considered, that would elevate the country to an international “rail bridge” to the Indian Ocean. What are these projects, and what motivates these countries? As the desert dust…
What spurs the international effort to bridge Afghanistan via rail?
Countries in Afghanistan’s vicinity have grown an interest in developing its rail infrastructure. More and more projects are being launched, or are at the very least being considered, that would elevate the country to an international “rail bridge” to the Indian Ocean. What are these projects, and what motivates these countries? As the desert dust…
CKU line to cost Kyrgyzstan 8 billion dollars
Kyrgyzstan will need to spend 8 billion dollars on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) rail line. Funding is the main obstacle to the construction of the route. Kyrgyzstan has not yet been able to find enough money to complete its part of the route. Akylbek Zhaparov, the head of the Kyrgyz cabinet of ministers, provided an update…
Uzbekistan wants a joint venture with China and Kyrgyzstan for CKU line
Uzbekistan has proposed a joint venture with China and Kyrgyzstan for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) line. The joint venture, which can also count on the support of China and Kyrgyzstan, would also become the manager of the line. Work on the line is supposed to start this year. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan line is one […]
Russia hoping to use INSTC to evade sanctions, says think tank
According to the US-based think tank The Jamestown Foundation, Russia hopes to use the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as a way to evade Western sanctions. The development of the corridor allows Russia to gain more open access to non-Western markets. Those could provide Russia with much-needed goods for its war economy. The INSTC is […]