Tashkent, Uzbekistan, June 1
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
Uzbekistan Railways JSC has completed construction of a 19-kilometer railway tunnel through the Kamchik pass in the east of the country, a message on the website of the company said.
"Joining of railroad tracks has been carried out on the 11th kilometer of the railway line inside the Kamchik tunnel, and the first train has been launched on these tracks in a test mode from the Angren station (Tashkent region) to the Pap station (Namangan region) in Uzbekistan," said the message.
Uzbekistan started construction of the Angren-Pap new electrified railway in July 2013.
The construction and electrification of the two sections of the railway with a total length of 104 kilometers were completed on both sides of the tunnel in September 2015.
The project worth $1.769 billion was financed through the state budget, Uzbek railway company's own funds and loans of the international financial institutes.
Uzbekistan Railways JSC and China Railway Tunnel Group Co. Ltd signed a contract in 2013 to lay a tunnel. The project cost was $455 million. The Export-Import Bank of China allocated $350 million worth loan for the construction of the tunnel in 2014.
Kamchik pass is located on the crest of the Kurama Range at the altitude of 1,200 meters above the sea level. The sole road between the Tashkent province and the Pap district of Namangan province runs through this pass. This road, which is of strategic importance for the country, is periodically blocked during winter due to avalanche threat.