"In the Revival of the Silk Road: Major Joint Projects in Transport Infrastructure"

The Silk Road is one of the largest symbolic manifestations of economic and cultural integration in the history of human civilization, ensuring connections between East and West for almost two thousand years. Along the Silk Road, not only commercial goods - silk, wood, precious stones, paper, and handicrafts - but also ideas, technologies, scientific achievements, and cultural traditions spread. Therefore, the Silk Road is of particular importance in the development of humanity as a "bridge of civilizations."

In the 21st century, as global economic integration processes deepen, the idea of reviving the Silk Road has once again come to the forefront as a strategic direction of international politics and economics.
In the global economy, global supply chains and logistics efficiency have become one of the key factors determining countries’ competitiveness. From this perspective, developing transport infrastructure in the Eurasian continent is crucial not only for economic impact but also for geopolitical stability and regional cooperation.
According to World Bank reports, every US dollar invested in sustainable infrastructure ensures an average GDP growth of $4. This clearly demonstrates the importance of transport projects as a driver of economic growth.
The People’s Republic of China is the main initiator of the idea of reviving the Silk Road in the 21st century. The Belt and Road Initiative, announced in 2013, represents a large-scale integration program encompassing not only transport infrastructure but also energy, the digital economy, industrial clusters, and cultural exchange.
Based on this program, great opportunities are being created for the countries of Central Asia, including Uzbekistan. Currently, within the framework of this initiative, Uzbekistan is taking a number of steps to modernize railways and highways, build logistics centers, and increase transit potential.
In particular, in 2016, Uzbekistan managed to build a 19.2-kilometer Qamchiq tunnel in the mountainous part of the country’s east. In June of the same year, the leaders of Uzbekistan and China held a ceremony for the opening of the Angren-Pap electrified railway and the Kamchik tunnel.
The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, at the regular meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States in Astana on July 4, 2024, emphasized: "Multiplicity of transport corridors is the most important condition for the sustainable development of our entire region."
Currently, one of the main priority tasks is the consistent increase in the volume of multimodal cargo transportation along the China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan and Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan routes.
In particular, the "China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan" strategic railway project, the construction of which is progressing rapidly, was assessed as one of the largest infrastructure initiatives in the history of the region and was called the "construction of the century." The construction of this railway, in essence, means the revival of the "Great Silk Road" in a new form.
In April 2025, the construction of this railway officially began in the Kyrgyz city of Jalal-Abad. Thanks to effective cooperation between railway organizations and workers from China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, construction work at several facilities began ahead of schedule, indicating that the project has entered an active phase of construction.
The project includes the construction of 20 stations, 42 bridges, and 25 tunnels along the "Kashgar – Torugart – Makmal – Jalal-Abad – Andijan" route. The total length of the railway is 532.53 km, and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2030. The annual volume of cargo transportation is planned to reach 15 million tons. Modern transit and logistics centers, warehouses, and terminals will also be built along the route.
Thus, the "China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan" route can take not only transport infrastructure but also the region’s economic integration to a new level.
This road will directly connect the Fergana Valley with China and is considered one of the shortest transit routes on the Eurasian continent.
After the implementation of the project, the transportation distance along the "China - Europe" and "China - South Asia" routes will be reduced by 900 km and 1000 km, respectively, and the transportation time will be reduced by approximately one week.
However, the strategic priorities in the region are not limited to this project alone. One of them is the Trans-Afghan Railway (Uzbekistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan).
The implementation of this project will allow for the formation of a sustainable transport corridor connecting Uzbekistan and all of Central Asia with South Asia. Thanks to this, the countries of the region will have access to seaports. In addition, all SCO member states will be able to be connected by a single railway line.
On July 17, 2025, the first trilateral meeting at the level of foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan took place in Kabul, where a Framework Agreement on the development of the feasibility study for the "Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan" railway was signed.
The "Termez – Naibabad – Maidanshahr – Logar – Kharlachi" route was chosen as the main project direction. Subsequently, the cargo transported along this route will be integrated with the Pakistani Peshawar-Karachi railway and delivered to the ports of Karachi and Qasim.
The launch of both railways - "China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan" and "Uzbekistan - Afghanistan – Pakistan" - will contribute to the deep integration of Uzbekistan’s transport and logistics system into the global network. This will not only allow for faster and cheaper delivery of domestic products to world markets, but will also significantly reduce transportation costs in the cost of imported products.
The revival of the Silk Road is an opportunity not only to revive the historical heritage but also to take its rightful place in the new global economic order. Large joint projects in transport infrastructure create the basis for strategic stability, economic growth in the Eurasian space, and the beginning of a new era of cooperation based on mutual trust between peoples.

Shoxjaxon Sikhnazarov,
Chief Specialist of the Center for the Study of Transport Problems