Around 2,000 citizens of Kyrgyzstan are currently working on the construction of China—Kyrgyzstan—Uzbekistan railway. Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan, Almaz Turgunbaev, said during a meeting of a relevant parliamentary committee.
According to him, due to the specific nature of railway construction, local workers are mostly employed in unskilled jobs for now. However, the ministry is also ready to hire domestic engineers with relevant qualifications.
At present, 25 people are employed in the project’s management company, and when candidates have equal qualifications, priority is given to Kyrgyzstanis. To support recruitment, agreements have been signed with local authorities in Naryn and Jalal-Abad regions, through which employment agencies help attract necessary personnel.
Major construction works are currently underway on key sections of the railway line, including the building of 21 bridges and excavation of three major tunnels. In total, more than 5,000 specialists are involved in the project, nearly half of whom are local workers.
The China—Kyrgyzstan—Uzbekistan railway project, with a total length of 532.5 kilometers, has been under discussion for decades. Official construction of the Kyrgyz section began in December 2024. The most complex part in Kyrgyzstan spans about 305 kilometers and includes the construction of 50 bridges and 29 tunnels. Completion and commissioning of the railway are planned for 2030.
