TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, December 16. Uzbekistan
is moving forward with plans to build a separate high-speed
passenger railway between Tashkent and Samarkand, marking a key
step in the modernization of the country’s rail transport system,
Trend reports via
Uzbekistan Railways.
The project stems from a presidential resolution adopted in
October 2023, which mandated the development of a feasibility study
for a dedicated high-speed line along the busy Tashkent–Samarkand
corridor. The feasibility study will be prepared by an
international consortium comprising Saman Engineering, Dong Myeong
Engineering Consultants & Architecture Co., Ltd., Korea Railroad
Corporation, and Korea National Railway, with funding provided
through a grant from the Korea Eximbank.
The planned railway is expected to significantly improve
passenger mobility, reduce travel times, and ease pressure on
existing rail infrastructure. It also aligns with Uzbekistan’s
broader strategy to expand high-speed rail services and enhance
connectivity between major economic and tourist centers.
At a meeting held on February 14, Uzbek and South Korean
officials reviewed the approach and scope of the feasibility study,
including technical parameters and implementation timelines.
Representatives of the Korean consortium presented their vision for
the project, outlining preliminary concepts for route design and
high-speed operations.
The new project aims to move beyond the capacity limits of the
current Afrosiyob system, which shares tracks with freight trains,
causing bottlenecks.
While the current Afrosiyob trains operate at up to 250 km/h,
the new dedicated line is being designed for operational speeds of
up to 300 km/h.
The journey from Tashkent to Samarkand is expected to drop from
the current 2 hours and 13 minutes to just 1 hour and 30 minutes (a
32% time saving).
