South Korea launches feasibility study for high-speed rail line between Tashkent and Samarkand

According to Yonhap News Agency, the feasibility study for the construction of the high-speed railway line is being carried out on behalf of the Export-Import Bank of Korea. The project will take 15 months, concluding in March 2026.

The K-Railway consortium, consisting of the Korea National Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), Saman, and Dongmyeong Technology Corporation, plans to introduce advanced high-speed rail technologies to Uzbekistan.

It is worth noting that in September of this year, Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced plans to build new high-speed railway lines on the Tashkent–Samarkand and Samarkand–Navoi–Bukhara routes.

In June of this year, Uzbekistan signed an agreement with Hyundai Rotem for the purchase and delivery of high-speed electric trains. Under the agreement, six high-speed trains will be purchased and deployed on the Tashkent–Urgench–Khiva route. The trains will be named after Jaloliddin Manguberdi and will cover the distance in seven hours.

The high-speed trains intended for Uzbekistan are modeled after the KTX-Eum train, which itself is based on the HEMU-430X high-speed train designed to travel at speeds of up to 430 km/h. Each train will consist of seven cars, accommodating 389 passengers, and will include VIP, business, and economy classes, as well as a dining car.