Feasibility study underway for Tashkent – Samarkand high-speed rail project

On February 14, Deputy Minister of Transport Jasurbek Choriev, South Korean Ambassador Won Do-Yeon, Head of the Eximbank Representative Office in Tashkent Kang Sangjin, First Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan Railways Hikmatulla Rakhmetov, and representatives of a consortium of South Korean companies met to discuss the development of the feasibility study for a dedicated high-speed passenger railway between Tashkent and Samarkand.

The Ministry of Transport has signed an agreement with a consortium comprising Saman Engineering, Dong Myeong Engineering Consultants & Architecture Co., Ltd, Korea Railroad Corporation, and Korea National Railway to develop the feasibility study, with funding provided through an Eximbank grant.

During the meeting, South Korean company representatives presented their approach to conducting the feasibility study. The parties also signed key documents, officially marking the transition to the practical phase of the feasibility study.

Tashkent – Samarkand high-speed railway

Plans for a dedicated high-speed rail line were first revealed in November 2023 by the First Deputy Chairman of Uzbekistan Railways. He stated that the current railway infrastructure is insufficient to accommodate the growing demand for both passenger and freight transportation.

In September 2023, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the development of high-speed railway corridors at a meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Samarkand. The planned routes include Tashkent – Samarkand and Samarkand – Navoi – Bukhara. The Turkish group Rönesans Holding may also be involved in the construction.