Tashkent Metro addresses scrutiny over employee payments, family ties and benefits

Another issue raised on social media concerns the employment of relatives and acquaintances within Tashkent Metro.

Yusupov did not deny that members of the same family can work for the organization. He said there are even cases where three generations – a grandfather, parent and child – have worked in the metro system, passing their professional skills from one generation to the next.

Such cases are most common in skilled trades, including mechanics, electricians and other technical professions, he said.

“What matters is that they do not hold positions where one person is directly subordinate to another,” Yusupov said.

According to him, potential conflicts of interest involving family ties are monitored by the metro’s internal security service and law enforcement agencies. Any suspected conflict of interest or legal violation is subject to an appropriate assessment.

Housing support is not free

The construction of apartment buildings for metro employees has also prompted discussion online. Management said the housing is not provided free of charge.

Employees in need of housing can receive access to preferential loans backed by Tashkent Metro, with priority given to long-serving staff and young specialists, according to Yusupov.

The program is intended to help retain qualified personnel in a system where training specialists can take years.

“Tashkent Metro is not an ordinary enterprise. It takes time to train qualified specialists for the system. Train drivers, electricians, mechanics, engineers and other technical professionals need years of experience to master their work,” Yusupov said.

“It is therefore natural that we want to retain the specialists we have trained and encourage them to remain in the system for the long term.”

Tashkent Metro currently employs more than 6,000 people. According to management, the average monthly salary in the system was around UZS 2.5 million in 2021 and has since risen to UZS 7–7.5 million. Young employees account for nearly half of the workforce.

Passenger numbers more than quadruple since 2021

The metro system has also expanded significantly in recent years. Daily ridership, which stood at around 250,000–300,000 passengers in 2021, has now exceeded 1.1 million.

According to the operator, the increase has been driven by the opening of new lines and stations, as well as an expansion of the rolling stock fleet.

Tashkent Metro had 40 trainsets before 2021. By 2026, that number had risen to 87, with 47 new trainsets added over the period.

As a result, the interval between trains on the Chilonzor Line has been reduced to 1.5–2 minutes. Trains on the Yunusobod Line now run at intervals of up to four minutes, while those on the Uzbekistan Line run at intervals of up to three minutes, according to the company.

The number of metro stations has also increased from 29 to 50. Newer stations are equipped with lifts, facilities for passengers with disabilities, mother-and-child rooms and other amenities.

Public toilets and mother-and-child rooms have been introduced at 10 high-traffic stations. Escalators at Novza, Xalqlar Dostligi, Mustaqillik Maydoni, Paxtakor and Hamid Olimjon stations have also been replaced.

The new escalators are fitted with sensors that stop them when no passengers are using them, according to Doniyor Nurillayev, head of Tashkent Metro’s press service.

Fare collection, which previously relied on tokens, has also been digitalized. Passengers can now pay using bank cards, mobile applications and ATTO cards, as well as through facial and palm recognition.

Mobile connectivity and free Wi-Fi have also been introduced at stations, while Ucell and Mobiuz provide mobile coverage in some metro tunnels.