On August 22, just a few days ahead of the celebrations of the 24th anniversary of our country’s independence, the high-speed electric train Afrosiyob carried out its maiden course from Tashkent to Karshi.
Special significance is attached under the leadership of President Islam Karimov to the steadfast development of the railway transport. Wide-ranging reforms are underway in the sector facilitating the growing volumes of freight and passenger transportation.
Four years ago, the high-speed train Afrosiyob began running between Uzbekistan’s capital city and Samarkand. The train itself is manufactured by the Spanish PATFNTES TALGO S.L.
The modern train containing two locomotives, eight passenger cars and a restaurant-carriage, has become for this period the most comfortable and reliable railway transportation means for our people and the guests of Uzbekistan. Suggestive of that is the fact that from the moment it was commissioned more than 600 thousand passengers have been carried by this train.
With the aim of securing the regular running of the electric train Afrosiyob along the route Tashkent-Samarkand-Karshi, specialists of the Joint Stock Company Uzbekiston Temir Yollari (Uzbekistan Railways) have undertaken enormous amount of work and efforts.
In accordance with the resolution of the head of our state “On boosting the development of infrastructure, transport and communications construction in 2011-2015”, signed 21 December 2010, as well as that “On measures to implement the project ‘Electrification of the railway section Marakand-Karshi'”, inked 5 January 2012, the latter 140.8 kilometer-long railway segment has been electrified to a full extent. At 11 stations, 9 kilometer-long railroads have been renewed, and ground works exceeding 2,100 cubic meters have been carried out.
To secure a reliable movement of trains and uninterrupted operation of communication systems, a modern automated scheme of dispatcher management and automated registration of electricity metering have been established. All the crossings of the railway section are equipped with phone and radio communications, while the road has been fenced on both sides.
To date, the passenger trains from Tashkent to Karshi have had to overcome the 511 kilometer path for nearly 6 hours, while from now on, the Afrosiyon electric train is going to limit that time to 3 hours.
“We have seen Afrosiyob on the television many times and dreamed of the times when we have that train in our region,” says the Karshi resident Shodiyor-ota Khojanazarov. “Today, our dream has come true. This wonder of machinery and technology takes us swiftly from Tashkent to our city. We are grateful to the President of our country for such opportunities for our people that make our towns even more closer.”
The Karshi railway station hosted a ceremony of welcoming the Afrosiyob train. The Kashkadarya Region hokim Zafar Ruziev, chairman of Uzbekiston Temir Yollari joint-stock company Achilbai Ramatov and others noted that this new course is indicative of the tremendous transformation taking place in the lives of our people along with the demonstration of the economic potential of our country.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan Batir Zakirov attended the festive event.
