Tashkent–Samarkand high-speed rail line

Tashkent – Samarkand High speed Railway

Afrosiyob high-speed train
Overview
Type High-speed railway
System Uzbekistan Railways
Status passenger service
Termini Tashkent Railway Station, Tashkent
Samarkand Railway Station, Samarkand
Operation
Opened 8 October 2011
Owner Uzbekistan Railways
Operator(s) Uzbekistan Railways
Character Passenger
Rolling stock Talgo 250
Technical
Line length 344 km (214 mi)
Track gauge 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) Russian gauge
Operating speed various

The Tashkent to Samarkand high-speed rail line is a 344-kilometre (214 mi) high-speed rail connection between Tashkent and Samarkand, the two largest Uzbek cities. The route passes through four provinces: Tashkent, Sirdaryo, Jizzakh and Samarqand in Uzbekistan. Trains operate seven days a week under the brand Afrosiyob.

History

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.[1][2] The line includes both new and rebuilt trackage, as well as adding modern signaling systems to the route.[3] 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.[2] 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.[3] The line was planned to open for commercial operation in September 2011,[4] but suffered from delays.[5]

Operation

Inside Afrosiyob train

Two trainsets for operation on the line were ordered in November 2009 from Talgo at a cost of €38 million[2][6] The cost of the purchase was split between operator O'zbekiston Temir Yo'llari and a loan from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan.[3] The first trainset, a Talgo 250, was delivered to Tashkent on 22 July 2011.[6][7] Each trainset consists of two power cars, eight passenger cars with a capacity of 257 people and a dining car.[6] The second trainset arrived in Tashkent on 9 December 2011.[8] The train carried out its first trip from Tashkent to Samarkand on 26 August 2011.[9][10]

Commercial service started on 8 October 2011 twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob.[11][12] Initially, total travel time was still more than two and half-hours[13] but services were upgraded to five times a week in January 2012,[14] and daily services started from 13 February 2012.[15] The travel time has been reduced to 2:08 hours on 10 February 2013. [16]

References

  1. ↑ "Uzbekistan begins construction on high-speed railway". Central Asia Newswire. March 11, 2011. Archived from the original on August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 "Uzbekistan’s high-speed rail plans face logistics challenges". Central Asia Newswire. October 22, 2010. Archived from the original on August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 "First high-speed Talgo electricity train arrives in Tashkent". Uzbekistan Daily. July 24, 2011. Archived from the original on August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Uzbekistan receives first high-speed train from Spain". Railway Insider. Archived from the original on August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  5. ↑ Uzbekistan’s high-speed trains said to lack suitable tracks
  6. 1 2 3 "Talgo 250 arrives in Toshkent". Railway Gazette International. July 26, 2011. Archived from the original on August 1, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  7. ↑ First high-speed Talgo electricity train arrives in Tashkent, 24 July 2011
  8. ↑ "Второй электропоезд Afrosiyob прибыл в Ташкент (фото)" (in Russian). Gazeta.uz. 2011-12-10.
  9. ↑ Uzdaily: First high-speed electricity train carries out first trip from Samarkand and Tashkent, 27 August 2011
  10. ↑ Uzbekistan Launches High Speed Tashkent-Smarkand Rail Line, September 08 2011
  11. ↑ ГАЖК «Ўзбекистон темир йўллари», ОАО «Узжелдоропасс» оъявляет, что началась продажа проездных документов на высокоскоростной поезд «Afrosiyob»
  12. ↑ High-speed Afrosiyob train starts to run between Tashkent and Samarkand, 6 October 2011
  13. ↑ Uzbekistan Today: 2.5 Hours to Samarqand
  14. ↑ High-speed train Afrosiyob to run five times a week. UzDaily.com. 24 January 2012
  15. ↑ High-speed train Afrosiyob to run seven times a week. UzDaily.com. 13 February 2012
  16. ↑ "Поездка в Самарканд на поезде Afrosiyob теперь занимает два часа" (in Russian). Gazeta.uz. 2013-02-12.

External links

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