High-speed rail in Uzbekistan

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High speed rail in Uzbekistan currently consists of 600 km of track and services using Talgo 250 equipment, branded Afrosiyob by operator Uzbekistan Railways, on upgraded conventional lines. All HSR lines have been built using upgraded lines on Russian gauge. Other regional railways exist.{{Cite web|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/talgo-250-reaches-bukhara.html|title=Talgo 250 reaches Bukhara|access-date=2017-07-03|archive-date=2016-08-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827194202/http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/passenger/single-view/view/talgo-250-reaches-bukhara.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gazeta.uz/2013/02/12/afrosiyob/|title= Поездка в Самарканд на поезде Afrosiyob теперь занимает два часа|publisher=Gazeta.uz |language=ru |date=2013-02-12}}

File:HSR Uzbekistan map.png

The country currently has two interoperated lines:

• Tashkent–Bukhara high-speed rail line
• The Tashkent–Samarkand section opened 2011 using HSR-capable trains while upgrading taking over 2.5 hours, in 2013 the 344-km route full commercial speed taking 2 hours and 8 minutes. Uzbekistan Railways management has raised the possibility of building a dedicated electrified line from Tashkent to Samarkand, shortening the journey to 1 hour and 20 minutes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.azernews.az/region/143588.html|title=Uzbekistan plans to build new high-speed railway to Samarkand|date=2019-01-05|website=AzerNews.az|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}
• The Samarkand-Bukhara section opened Aug 2016, extension of the first line, 256-km route taking 1 hour 12 minutes, or from Tashkent 3 hours and 20 minutes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/asia/uzbekistan-train-travel-slow-tashkent-bukhara-samarkand-a9218276.html|title=Exploring Uzbekistan by bullet train|date=2019-11-26|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}
• Samarkand-Qarshi high-speed rail line, a 141 km long extension to Qarshi started operation on August 22, 2015, though at lower speed of {{cvt|160|kph|abbr=on|round=10}}.{{Cite web|title=Запущена еще одна высокоскоростная линия Ташкент–Карши: путь займет всего 3 часа|url=https://podrobno.uz:443/cat/economic/zapushchena-eshche-odna-vysokoskorostnaya-liniya-tashkent-karshi-put-zaymet-vsego-3-chasa-/|access-date=2021-02-11|website=Podrobno.uz|language=ru}}

By 2018, the high speed rail was operating beyond capacity, and tickets had to be booked months in advance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.azernews.az/region/136464.html|title=Old trains to be repaired in Uzbekistan to solve problem with lack of tickets|date=2018-08-20|website=AzerNews.az|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}} To combat this issue, the railway awarded a $62 million contract to Talgo to purchase an additional two {{cvt|250|kph|abbr=on|round=5}} tilting trains due to enter service in 2021, to join the other four currently in service; the new contract also requests extra coaches to expand the current nine-car trains to 11 cars each.{{Cite web|url=https://www.railjournal.com/fleet/uzbekistan-railways-orders-two-talgo-trains/|title=Uzbekistan Railways orders two Talgo 250 tilting trains|date=2019-06-03|website=International Railway Journal|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}File:Talgo 250 Afrosiyob 05-06, Bukhara station.jpg

Services from Tashkent to Almaty, Kazakhstan have been steadily improving from a travel time of 30 hours during the Soviet era to 16.5 hours as of 2017.{{Cite web|url=http://www.advantour.com/uzbekistan/news/20170409-398.htm|title=New Almaty-Tashkent passenger train started routing}} There is also a 1.5 hour customs stop at the border. The service uses Tulpar-Talgo equipment of joined Uzbek-Kazakh rail cars. Similarly, the route from Almaty to the Chinese HSR rail head at Urumqi has been upgraded to 8 hours (change of gauge), qualifying as a higher-speed rail link.{{Cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/08/c_136350512.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170608140018/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-06/08/c_136350512.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 8, 2017|title=New passenger train route connects China, Kazakhstan - Xinhua | English.news.cn}} Chinese may be looking to develop the entire Urumqi and Tashkent segment into a full speed HSR line due to Belt and Road, but as of 2017 this is far from certain. There is also a track gauge difference that effectively prevents high speed usage of current Uzbek HSR by China.

In January 2021, the Kazakh Prime Minister Asqar Mamin announced plans to extend the line in Tashkent across the border to Shymkent and Turkestan.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-28 |title=Ташкент и Туркестан свяжет высокоскоростная ж/д магистраль |url=https://www.gazeta.uz/ru/2021/01/28/train/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=Газета.uz |language=ru-UZ}}{{Cite web |last=Hashimova |first=Umida |title=What a New High-Speed Railway Tells Us About Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan Relations |url=https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/what-a-new-high-speed-railway-tells-us-about-kazakhstan-uzbekistan-relations/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}

In April 2022, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank provided a $108 million loan to Uzbekistan for electrification of the 465km line between Bukhara and Khiva, and high-speed trainsets are intended to eventually travel between Tashkent and Khiva.{{Cite web |title=Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank provides $108 million loan to Uzbekistan for railway line electrification |url=https://akipress.com/news:669602:Asian_Infrastructure_Investment_Bank_provides_$108_million_loan_to_Uzbekistan_for_railway_line_electrification/ |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=akipress.com}} The current unelectrified line already has a design speed of {{cvt|250|kph|abbr=on|round=5}}, and running the Afrosiyob trainsets will reduce travel time from six hours to two hours.{{Cite web |last=adbheadhoncho |date=2021-12-14 |title=Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Corridor 2 (Bukhara-Miskin-Urgench-Khiva) Railway Electrification Project |url=https://www.adb.org/projects/53271-001/main |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=Asian Development Bank |language=en}} In November 2022, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that high-speed service to Khiva will be launched in 2024, and announced the launch of construction on an electrified high-speed rail extension to Nukus, decreasing travel times between Tashkent and Nukus from 16 hours to 7 hours.{{Cite web |title=High-speed trains to Nukus to be launched in Uzbekistan |url=https://m.akipress.com/news:687210:High-speed_trains_to_Nukus_to_be_launched_in_Uzbekistan/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |website=m.akipress.com}}

In June 2024 Uzbekistan acquired six high-speed trains from Hyundai. The new trains will be named “Jalaladdin Manguberdi” in honor of the historical hero of Uzbekistan, emphasizing cultural significance and respect for national history. The trains are planned to operate on the “Tashkent – Urgench – Khiva” route, linking the capital with important tourist and economic centers of the country. This opens new opportunities for the development of domestic tourism and promotes economic growth in the regions. Each electric train will consist of seven cars and can carry up to 351 passengers. The maximum speed of the trains will be 250 kilometers per hour, significantly reducing travel time and making journeys between cities more convenient and faster."Uzbekistan Acquires Six High-Speed Trains from Hyundai." Railway Supply. Retrieved June 15, 2024, from https://www.railway.supply/en/uzbekistan-acquires-six-high-speed-trains-from-hyundai