Tashkent–Bukhara high-speed rail line

History

Construction began on the line on 11 March 2011, with completion planned for later that year at a cost of approximately US$70 million. The line includes both new and rebuilt trackage, as well as modern signalling systems along the route. The 600 km high-speed line is capable of speeds up to 250 km/h, with a total travel time between Tashkent and Bukhara of just under four hours. The line was planned was opened for commercial operation in September 2011, but suffered from delays.

Operation

Two trainsets for operation on the line were ordered in November 2009 from Talgo at a cost of €38 million The cost of the purchase was split between operator O'zbekiston Temir Yo'llari and a loan from the state Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan. The first trainset, a Talgo 250, was delivered to Tashkent on 22 July 2011. Each trainset consists of two power cars, eight passenger cars with a capacity of 257 people and a dining car. The second trainset arrived in Tashkent on 9 December 2011. The train carried out its first trip from Tashkent to Samarkand on 26 August 2011.

Two more Talgo 250 trainsets were constructed for Afrosiyob services in 2017.

Commercial service started on 8 October 2011 twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob in honor of the ancient settlement of Afrasiyab near Samarkand. Initially, total travel time was still more than two and half-hours but services were upgraded to five times a week in January 2012, and daily services started from 13 February 2012. The travel time has been reduced to 2:08 hours as of 10 February 2013.

Further extensions

The high-speed rail line is expected to be extended to Khiva via Urgench, in order to connect all the major Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan. In December 2018, a new station opened in Khiva, and a 30 km railroad connects it to Urgench. The connection between Bukhara and Urgench was expected to be completed in 2021. As of February 2022, the line between Bukhara and Urgench is still in progress. When the line is completed, travel between Tashkent and Khiva should take 7 hours.

In March 2024, Uzbekistan Railways announced the purchase of South Korean Hyundai Rotem's high-speed trains UTY EMU-250 based on KTX-Eum to service the route.

Criticism

As of 2024, tickets for the Afrosiyob service are extremely hard to come by due to advance bookings by foreign tour groups as well as local resellers booking all the tickets sometimes months in advance. As a result, the Uzbek taxpayers have little to no direct benefit from their investment.

Routes

Routes as of 31 August 2019:

• Tashkent–Samarqand–Navoiy–Bukhara
• Tashkent–Samarqand–Karshi

References

References

1. [http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/talgo-250-reaches-bukhara.html Talgo 250 reaches Bukhara] {{Webarchive. link. (27 August 2016 ''[[Railway Gazette International]]'' 26 August 2016)
2. (11 March 2011). "Uzbekistan begins construction on high-speed railway". Central Asia Newswire.
3. (22 October 2010). "Uzbekistan's high-speed rail plans face logistics challenges". Central Asia Newswire.
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6. [http://centralasiaonline.com/en_GB/articles/caii/newsbriefs/2011/09/19/newsbrief-03 Uzbekistan's high-speed trains said to lack suitable tracks]
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8. [http://www.uzdaily.com/articles-id-15111.htm First high-speed Talgo electricity train arrives in Tashkent, 24 July 2011 ]
9. (2011-12-10). "Второй электропоезд Afrosiyob прибыл в Ташкент (фото)". Gazeta.uz.
10. [http://www.uzdaily.com/articles-id-15511.htm Uzdaily: First high-speed electricity train carries out first trip from Samarkand and Tashkent, 27 August 2011 ]
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12. "Talgo 250 – List of the vehicles".
13. "ГАЖК «Ўзбекистон темир йўллари», ОАО «Узжелдоропасс» оъявляет, что началась продажа проездных документов на высокоскоростной поезд «Afrosiyob»".
14. [http://www.uzdaily.com/articles-id-15984.htm High-speed Afrosiyob train starts to run between Tashkent and Samarkand, 6 October 2011]
15. [http://www.ut.uz/eng/business/25_hours_to_samarqand.mgr Uzbekistan Today: 2.5 Hours to Samarqand]
16. [http://www.uzdaily.com/articles-id-17206.htm High-speed train Afrosiyob to run five times a week]. UzDaily.com. 24 January 2012
17. [http://uzdaily.com/articles-id-17417.htm High-speed train Afrosiyob to run seven times a week]. UzDaily.com. 13 February 2012
18. (2013-02-12). "Поездка в Самарканд на поезде Afrosiyob теперь занимает два часа". Gazeta.uz.
19. [https://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/asia/single-view/view/uzbekistan-orders-more-talgo-250-trainsets.html Uzbekistan orders more Talgo 250 trainsets] {{Webarchive. link. (8 August 2020 ''Railway Gazette International'' 3 June 2019)
20. [https://nuz.uz/obschestvo/1223708-iz-tashkenta-v-hivu-za-sem-chasov.html Из Ташкента в Хиву- за семь часов] {{Webarchive. link. (1 November 2022 ''Nuz.uz'' 19 February 2022)
21. uz, Kun. "Hyundai Rotem may supply high-speed trains to Uzbekistan".
22. [https://uznews.uz/posts/63864 Почему нет билетов на Афросиоб] ''Uz.news'' 10 February 2023