China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway set to enhance regional connectivity

KASHGAR — The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, scheduled to begin construction this year, will create a new shortcut between China and Europe, while elevating Central Asia's status in the global supply chain, executives and experts said.

With a designed speed of 120 kilometers per hour, the railway is a key connectivity project between China and Central Asia and is expected to become a new demonstration project for cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The route will begin in Kashgar, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and pass through the mountainous terrain of Kyrgyzstan to reach Uzbekistan.