BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 14. President of
Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov took part in the capsule-laying ceremony
marking the start of construction of the
Balykchy–Tamchy–Cholpon-Ata railway during his working visit to the
Issyk-Kul region on June 14, the Official website of President of
Kyrgyzstan says.
The head of state reviewed the project details and inspected the
restored railway section between Balykchy station and the Balykchy
Beach stop. He also traveled along the route on a railcar.
In his remarks, Japarov said Kyrgyzstan’s rail sector had
achieved record results, with freight transportation reaching 10
million tons in 2025, up 36 percent from 2021, while passenger
traffic increased by 70 percent to 432,000 people.
He highlighted the ongoing construction of the
China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway and plans to develop the
Balykchy–Kochkor–Kara-Keche–Makmal line to strengthen domestic
connectivity.
According to Japarov, the new 86-kilometer
Balykchy–Tamchy–Cholpon-Ata railway will be integrated with
Issyk-Kul International Airport, creating a modern multimodal
transport and logistics hub. The project is expected to handle up
to 5 million tons of cargo annually and boost tourism and regional
development.
More than 400 jobs will be created during construction and over
200 permanent positions after the railway becomes operational.
Japarov also defended the involvement of foreign specialists in
major infrastructure projects, stressing that international
expertise is needed in areas where Kyrgyzstan still lacks
sufficient experience, while local engineers are being trained to
implement similar projects independently in the future.
He concluded that the railway project would contribute
significantly to the country’s economic growth, tourism sector and
transport infrastructure development.