Uzbekistan Railways addresses misinformation on Sharq train conditions

The company stated that the information is false and does not reflect reality. The photographs used in the reports were taken from an older publication about a different route – the Tashkent-Volgograd train – and have no connection to the Sharq train. Using these images in this context is a manipulation of facts.

“We care about the comfort and safety of our passengers and regularly conduct inspections, including on the Sharq trains, to ensure compliance with sanitary standards while intensifying oversight,” the statement read.

Uzbekistan Railways urged the public to present substantiated facts and refrain from deliberately misleading society.

In 2023, Russian blogger Ilya Varlamov criticized the service quality of Uzbekistan Railways. He noted that he had purchased a $100 ticket for a luxury carriage on the Samarkand–Tashkent route.

“There were no tickets left for the high-speed train, so I booked a luxury carriage on a regular train. But it seems there’s little difference between carriages in Uzbekistan,” the blogger commented.

Following this incident, an urgent meeting was held. Disciplinary actions were taken against the carriage attendants and train supervisor on duty at the time, addressing the identified shortcomings. Additionally, staff were retrained on service standards and passenger train regulations.