President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was provided information on railway industry development progress and plans for the coming years Thursday, the presidential press service said.
Reportedly, the railway system transformation strategy is already yielding results: for the first time, the industry ended last year with a net profit (46.6 billion soums), and in the nine months of this year, this profit reached 857.4 billion soums ($71.6 million). By comparison, losses in 2023 topped 2.23 trillion soums, with cargo and passenger traffic, exports, and investment growing.
However, Shavkat Mirziyoyev emphasized that we should not get complacent with the achieved results. He noted that it was necessary to improve the quality and volume of rail services, taking into account population and economic growth, and to continue reducing costs.
According to the data presented, the implementation of AI-based control systems at all stages—from traffic, services management and loss detection—will reduce service costs by up to 20%.
By 2026-2030, passenger and freight traffic volumes are projected to at least double. This includes the construction of 151 km of new tracks, electrification of 182 km of existing lines, modernization of 27 stations, and renovation of 1,000 km of railways.
New electrified lines are planned to be erected in the following routes:
- Nurafshan - Pskent - Buka - Bekabad - Bayavut - Yangiyer (112 km of line will cover five districts of the Tashkent province) and
- Khavast - Dashtabad.
While, the following sections will be electrified:
- Kumkurgan - Kudukli,
- Samarkand - Urgut,
- Baitkurgan - Parkent,
The capacity of the following routes will be increased:
- Tashkent - Samarkand,
- Tukimachi - Angren,
- Angren - Pap.
15 new routes will be launched in addition to the existing 40:
- Tashkent - Nurafshan - Akhangaran - Angren,
- Navoi - Zarafshan - Uchkuduk,
- Kagan - Namangan - Andijan - Margilan,
- Termez - Kumkurgan - Baysun - Darband,
- Nukus - Shavat - Urgench - Khiva,
- Jizzakh - Dustlik - Aydar-Arnasai,
- Karshi - Shakhrisabz.
The president touched upon expanding the high-speed train network was also discussed. The president gave directives to expedite the commissioning of the 102-kilometer Navoi - Bukhara line, which will significantly reduce the time and costs of freight and passenger travel.
From 2024, state regulation of ticket prices for high-speed and express passenger trains will be abolished in Uzbekistan. Prices will be based on market principles.
At the end of 2023, Uzbekistan Railways was transformed into a holding company, splitting into six separate companies for infrastructure, freight cars and logistics, passenger transportation (including high-speed trains), and station management.
