Tashkent–Samarkand high-speed rail line
Encyclopedia
The Tashkent to Samarkand high-speed rail line is a 344 kilometres (213.8 mi), high-speed rail
, connection between the two largest Uzbek
cities of Tashkent
and Samarkand
and through four province
s: Tashkent, Sirdaryo
, Jizzakh
and Samarqand
in Uzbekistan
. Train is operating twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob.
and Khiva
as part of the project. The 344 kilometres (213.8 mi) high-speed line is capable of speeds up to 250 kph, with a total travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand of about two hours. The line is planned to open for commercial operation in September 2011. However as of September 18 only 35 km of high speed track were installed and railway company reportedly lacked the money to upgrade the entire route.
at a cost of €
38 million ($53 million). The cost of the purchase was split between operator Uzbekistan Temir Yollari and a loan from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan. The first trainset, a Talgo 250
, was delivered to Tashkent on 22 July 2011, with a second planned to follow in September. Each trainset consists of two power cars, eight passenger cars with a capacity of 257 people and a dining car.
Train carried out its first trip from Tashkent to Samarkand on Aug. 26 with passengers to visit Music Festival "Sharq taronalari" in Samarqand.
The train covered the distance of 205 miles in two hours.
The commercial service started on 8 October 2011 twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob. However due to lack of fast track total travel time is more than two and half hour.
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
, connection between the two largest Uzbek
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
cities of Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
and Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
and through four province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
s: Tashkent, Sirdaryo
Sirdaryo Province
Sirdarya Province is a viloyat of Uzbekistan, located in the center of the country on the left bank of Syr Darya River. It borders with , Tajikstan, Toshkent Province and Jizzakh Province. It covers an area of 5,100 km², and is mostly desert, with the Starving Steppe taking up a significant...
, Jizzakh
Jizzakh Province
Jizzakh Province is a viloyat of Uzbekistan located in the center of the country. It borders with Tajikstan to the south and south-east, Samarqand Province to the west, Navoiy Province to the north-west, Kazakhstan to the north, and Sirdaryo Province to the east. It covers an area of 20,500 km²...
and Samarqand
Samarqand Province
Samarqand Province is a viloyat of Uzbekistan located in the center of the country in the basin of Zarafshan River. It borders with Tajikstan, Navoiy Province, Jizzakh Province and Qashqadaryo Province. It covers an area of 16,400 km²...
in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
. Train is operating twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob.
History
Construction began on the line on 11 March 2011, with completion planned for later that year at a cost of roughly $70 million. The line includes both new and rebuilt trackage, as well as adding modern signaling systems to the route. In addition to building trackage capable of supporting high-speed service, track of lower standards was built to the cities of BukharaBukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
and Khiva
Khiva
Khiva is a city of approximately 50,000 people located in Xorazm Province, Uzbekistan. It is the former capital of Khwarezmia and the Khanate of Khiva...
as part of the project. The 344 kilometres (213.8 mi) high-speed line is capable of speeds up to 250 kph, with a total travel time between Tashkent and Samarkand of about two hours. The line is planned to open for commercial operation in September 2011. However as of September 18 only 35 km of high speed track were installed and railway company reportedly lacked the money to upgrade the entire route.
Operation
Two trainsets for operation on the line were ordered in November 2009 from TalgoTalgo
Talgo is a Spanish manufacturer of railway vehicles. It is best known for a design of articulated railway passenger cars in which the wheels are mounted in pairs, but not joined by an axle, and being between rather than underneath the individual coaches...
at a cost of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
38 million ($53 million). The cost of the purchase was split between operator Uzbekistan Temir Yollari and a loan from the Fund for Reconstruction and Development of Uzbekistan. The first trainset, a Talgo 250
RENFE Class 130
The RENFE Class 130 or S-130 is a high speed dual gauge, dual voltage trainset consisting of eleven Talgo VII tilting coaches and two power cars...
, was delivered to Tashkent on 22 July 2011, with a second planned to follow in September. Each trainset consists of two power cars, eight passenger cars with a capacity of 257 people and a dining car.
Train carried out its first trip from Tashkent to Samarkand on Aug. 26 with passengers to visit Music Festival "Sharq taronalari" in Samarqand.
The train covered the distance of 205 miles in two hours.
The commercial service started on 8 October 2011 twice a week under the brand Afrosiyob. However due to lack of fast track total travel time is more than two and half hour.