This is the missing railway link in DRC 202. It is scheduled to begin construction in 2025, with a designed speed of 120 kilometers per hour. There would be 213 km in China, 260 km in landlocked Kyrgyzstan and 50 km in doubly-landlocked Uzbekistan. The Kyrgyz section would run at high altitude and require numerous tunnels.

History

The project has been discussed several times since an initial Uzbek proposal in 1996. A feasibility study was completed by China Railway Construction Corp in May 2023. Agreement has now been reached for the project to be progressed by a joint venture of the three national railways. Construction of the railway will officially begin in July 2025.