The Korea National Railway Corporation (KORAIL), along with Saman and Dongmyeong Technology Corporation, will conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a high-speed railway in Uzbekistan. This is reported by the news outlet Yonhap.
The new high-speed railway will connect Tashkent and Samarkand. The project is being financed through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of the Export-Import Bank of South Korea.
The feasibility study is expected to last 15 months and be completed by March 2026. The project will include field studies, forecasting future transport demand, developing a basic infrastructure plan, calculating construction costs, and analyzing economic efficiency. Training for local specialists is also planned.
High-Speed Railway Tashkent – Samarkand
The plans for a separate line for high-speed traffic were revealed by the first deputy head of "Uzbekiston Temir Yullari" in November 2023. He noted that the current infrastructure is insufficient to handle the growing volume of passenger and freight transportation.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the construction of high-speed railway corridors during the September meeting of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank governors in Samarkand. These will run along the routes Tashkent – Samarkand and Samarkand – Navoi – Bukhara. The Turkish group Rönesans Holding may be involved in the construction.
Previously, Spot reported that the Tashkent – Khojikent railway is planned to be straightened.