Tashkent–Samarkand high-speed rail line

Tashkent Main Railway Station

Construction began on the line on 11 March 2011, with completion planned for later that year at a cost of approximately US$70 million.[3][4] The line includes both new and rebuilt trackage, as well as adding modern signaling systems to the route.[5] In addition to building trackage capable of supporting high-speed service, some track of lower standards was built to the cities of Bukhara and Khiva as part of the project.[4] The 344 kilometres (214 mi) high-speed line is capable of speeds up to 250 km/h (160 mph), with a total travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand of about two hours.[5] The line was planned to open for commercial operation in September 2011,[6] but suffered from delays.[7]

Inside Afrosiyob train

Two trainsets for operation on the line were ordered in November 2009 from Talgo at a cost of €38 million[4][8] 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.[5] The first trainset, a Talgo 250, was delivered to Tashkent on 22 July 2011.[8][9] Each trainset consists of two power cars, eight passenger cars with a capacity of 257 people and a dining car.[8] The second trainset arrived in Tashkent on 9 December 2011.[10] The train carried out its first trip from Tashkent to Samarkand on 26 August 2011.[11][12]

Two more Talgo 250 trainsets were constructed for Afrosiyob services in 2017.[13]

Commercial service started on 8 October 2011 twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob.[14][15] Initially, total travel time was still more than two and half-hours[16] but services were upgraded to five times a week in January 2012,[17] and daily services started from 13 February 2012.[18] The travel time has been reduced to 2:08 hours as of 10 February 2013.[19]

Routes as of 31 August 2019:

• Tashkent-Samarqand-Navoiy-Bukhara
• Tashkent-Samarqand-Karshi

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Afrosiyob.

• Uzbekistan Railways