Kyrgyzstan Launches Construction of 86 km Balykchy–Cholpon-Ata Railway

President Sadyr Japarov has installed a time capsule marking the start of construction of the 86 km Balykchy–Tamchy–Cholpon-Ata railway along the north shore of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. The line will provide a rail link to Issyk-Kul International Airport.

The project extends rail access along the northern lakeside corridor, where no rail infrastructure currently exists beyond the Balykchy railhead. A transport and logistics hub is planned at the airport location. The route will serve the populated corridor between Balykchy and Cholpon-Ata, a distance of 86 km following the lake's northern shoreline.

Kyrgyz Temir Zholu, the national railway operator, is leading the project. The line passes through Tamchy en route to its terminus at Cholpon-Ata. The ceremonial launch included installation of a time capsule at the construction site, formalising the commencement of civil works.

Kyrgyzstan's existing rail network is limited, with most lines concentrated in the northern and western regions. The Balykchy railhead has served as the end of the line for freight and passenger services reaching the Issyk-Kul basin. The new route will be the first railway infrastructure built along the lake's northern shore, opening a transport corridor in a region that has relied on road connections.