Uzbekistan's Leading Initiatives in SCO Railway Projects
On the eve of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, the issue of developing sustainable transport infrastructure in the region is gaining particular relevance. Today, transport corridors are not merely logistical routes, but strategic arteries through which not only cargo flows, but also mutual trust, economic partnership, and regional stability.
At each SCO summit, priority attention is traditionally given to matters of transport and communication cooperation. The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, speaking at the previous 24th SCO summit in Astana, specifically emphasized the need to form an integrated and interconnected transport and transit system to strengthen interregional ties.
In the context of increasing geopolitical instability in the Red Sea and Eastern Europe, the necessity of creating alternative, reliable land routes along the "Europe - China" and "Europe - South Asia" directions through Central Asia is coming to the forefront.
In this context, not only developing infrastructure but also coordinating transport and logistics initiatives with other international and regional structures, such as the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and others, is becoming an important task. Such coordination allows for the construction of effective, interconnected routes that open up new opportunities for the SCO countries and partner states.
As the head of our state has repeatedly emphasized, the implementation of joint transport projects will contribute to economic integration, the expansion of trade ties, and the strengthening of the region's position in the global transport system.
The development of railway infrastructure holds a special place in these efforts. Since its establishment, the SCO has consistently prioritized the development of the transport sector, especially railways. This special attention has made railway transport a key factor in strengthening economic relations between member states, stimulating trade growth, and developing tourism. An interconnected transport network plays a crucial role in strengthening economic integration in the region and increasing the competitiveness of member countries.
Currently, the total length of the railway network of the SCO countries is 348.3 thousand km, of which more than 60% (210.2 thousand km) are electrified. The annual volume of cargo transported through this network is about 8.2 billion tons, cargo turnover - 7.5 trillion tonne-kilometers, passenger turnover - almost 1,424 billion passenger-kilometers.
For the countries of Central Asia that do not have access to the sea, the railway is the main and most stable mode of transport. Today, it accounts for more than 80% of all freight and passenger transportation in the region. Considering its geographical location, climate resilience, and high energy efficiency, rail transport remains a key tool for integrating the region into global trade and transport chains.
Among neighboring countries, the majority of Uzbekistan's trade turnover is accounted for by China, Russia, and Kazakhstan. The total share of trade turnover with these countries amounted to about 40% in the first half of 2025: China - 18.2%, Russia - 16.1%, Kazakhstan - 5.9%. Following are Turkey with a share of 3.6% and the Republic of Korea - 2.2%.
Russia and Kazakhstan retain the status of leading trade partners of Uzbekistan. The high share of these countries in trade with Uzbekistan is due to historical ties, geographical proximity, as well as stable transport and communication links.
This, in turn, determines the leading role of the SCO countries in Uzbekistan's foreign trade cooperation among international and regional structures. In connection with the above, Uzbekistan is actively diversifying routes towards South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Uzbekistan is cooperating with foreign partners on the implementation of strategic railway projects. These projects not only strengthen the country's transit potential but also emphasize its role as a logistics hub for Central Asia.
In the context of Uzbekistan's leading initiatives in the SCO railway projects, the strategic projects for the construction of new highways: "China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan" and "Uzbekistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan" are gaining particular importance. It is gratifying to note that in April 2025, the full-scale construction of the "China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan" railway began in Kyrgyzstan, about 40% of which will pass through tunnels and bridges - one of the most technically complex projects in the region.
Regarding the "Uzbekistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan" project, a trilateral framework agreement was signed with Afghan and Pakistani colleagues to develop a full-fledged feasibility study for the project, which is of strategic importance for all of Eurasia.
The "China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan" railway plays a key role in the SCO transport system, as:
- for China, it creates the shortest land route to Central Asia and Europe, reducing the load on overloaded destinations;
- Kyrgyzstan gains direct access to international highways and becomes a transit hub;
- Uzbekistan is opening an alternative route to the Chinese market and access to Europe and South Asia through Afghanistan and Pakistan;
- for other SCO countries, the distance is reduced by almost 1000 km, reducing costs by 30-40% and accelerating logistics.
Speaking about the problems of integration within the framework of the SCO, it is necessary to note a number of key limitations that hinder the full development of railway communication between the countries of the region.
Firstly, today the railways of the SCO countries remain fragmented and not connected into a single network. There are land routes from China to Europe, passing through the infrastructure of Kazakhstan and Russia, as well as alternative routes using multimodal transportation through Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and the Caspian Sea (with the involvement of rail and road transport).
However, within the SCO region, there are no full-fledged railway connections between the countries of the European Union and South Asia, in particular, with Pakistan and India. This significantly limits the development of mutual trade and hinders economic integration between the largest economies of Eurasia.
Secondly, when forming international transport corridors within the framework of the SCO, problems remain related to the inconsistency of the regulatory and legal frameworks of the participating countries. Among the main obstacles are the lack of unified standards for transportation documents in railway transport, as well as significant technical differences, including different railway track widths and non-compliance of rolling stock dimensions.
It should be noted that to address the above-mentioned problems, as well as for the practical implementation of the initiatives of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, voiced at the SCO summits, in particular, to ensure the deep integration of member countries into global production chains and the accelerated introduction of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, Uzbekistan is implementing a set of measures aimed at strengthening the role and status of railway organizations within the framework of the SCO.
Thus, the National Railway Company of Uzbekistan is actively working with partners - railway administrations of the SCO countries to transform the existing platform "Meeting of Railway Leaders of the SCO Member States" into the "Council for Integration of Railway Spaces of the SCO Countries."
Within the framework of this initiative, practical steps are being taken to form new and develop existing land transport corridors covering the entire Eurasian region.
In particular, we are talking about such strategically important routes as "China – Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan – Iran – Turkey – Europe," "CIS countries - Uzbekistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan" with access to the ports of the Indian Ocean. On the eve of the next SCO summit, Uzbekistan once again demonstrates its readiness to form a sustainable, interconnected, and open transport system focused on the long-term and mutually beneficial development of the entire region.
It is planned that the headquarters of the Council Directorate will be located in Tashkent. It also provides for the creation of the International Center for Digital Transport Services, which will become an important element of the digital transformation of transport and logistics infrastructure in the SCO space.
All of the above initiatives will undoubtedly strengthen the transport and logistics potential of the region, developing trade between the countries of Europe, the CIS, the Asia-Pacific region, and South Asia.
For these purposes, Uzbekistan is actively developing its internal transport infrastructure: the electrification of railways continues, the rolling stock fleet is being renewed, the network of high-speed highways is expanding, in particular, work is underway to develop the feasibility study of a separate high-speed Tashkent - Samarkand line. By the end of this year, the arrival of six modern Hyundai Rotem high-speed trains for the Tashkent-Khiva high-speed route is expected, and the development of roadside and logistics infrastructure continues.
