Kyrgyzstan plans monorail to ease capital’s traffic congestion
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (MNTV) — Kyrgyzstan is considering the construction of a monorail system in its capital Bishkek to modernize public transport and tackle worsening traffic congestion.
According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Economy and Commerce, discussions have taken place between representatives of the Chinese company CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles, Bishkek’s municipal government, and Kyrgyzstan’s national railway operator, Kyrgyz Temir Jolu. The talks focused on evaluating the feasibility of a monorail network, which could provide a faster and more efficient alternative to the city’s overloaded roads.
The Times of Central Asia reported that the parties agreed to conduct a detailed study to assess the technical and economic viability of the project. Bishkek’s municipality will submit preliminary sketches of the proposed system, and officials emphasized that the project could be developed through a public-private partnership, potentially attracting foreign investment.
If implemented, a monorail system could significantly ease urban mobility by reducing congestion, cutting travel times, and modernizing Bishkek’s outdated transport infrastructure. The city has struggled with traffic bottlenecks in recent years due to rapid population growth and increased vehicle ownership, making reliable public transport a critical issue.
The idea of a monorail in Bishkek has been under discussion for several years. In 2020, then-acting mayor Balbak Tulobaev dismissed skepticism about the project, even suggesting that future monorail expansion could connect the capital with Karakol. In 2021, during President Sadyr Japarov’s official visit to Turkey, a memorandum of cooperation was signed with the Turkish firm Sky Ray Ve Oto Yedek Parça Ekipmanlari Üretim Sanayi A.Ş.
By 2022, city authorities had outlined preliminary plans for high-speed transport lines over the Ala-Archa and Alamedin rivers, which connect Bishkek’s southern and northern districts. However, the project never progressed beyond the planning stage.
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