The Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov commented on the relocation of the railway outside Bishkek to journalists.
According to him, it is no secret that the railway, which runs through the city center, creates many problems for traffic and is the main cause of congestion and traffic jams.
«There are six railway crossings in Bishkek in total,» he explained.
The head of the Cabinet recalled that the relocation of the railway outside the city is an initiative of the Bishkek City Hall. According to him, it is necessary to develop a feasibility study and only then begin discussing the cost of the project and the timing of its implementation.
The new railway is intended to be built only for freight and cargo trains, Akylbek Japarov clarified.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan approved a draft Memorandum of Cooperation with China Road and Bridge Corporation in Kyrgyzstan. Within the framework of the memorandum, the parties intend to take joint actions to organize work aimed at achieving the following goals:
- Development of road and transport infrastructure;
- Relocation of railway lines passing through Bishkek outside the city;
- Construction of new railway lines outside the capital;
- Construction of a high-speed road instead of railway lines, as well as ramps to intersecting streets.
The plans to move the railway outside the capital were discussed in May 2022 by former mayor Emilbek Abdykadyrov at a session of the Bishkek City Council during the presentation of the development strategy «Bishkek-2026. Well-Maintained and Green Capital.» At that time, he noted that $1 billion might be required for these purposes.
