Uzbekistan aims to double railway freight shipments by building regional infrastructure
TASHKENT. May 28 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan plans to double freight shipments by train by building railway infrastructure to deliver and handle freight outside of the country's capital city of Tashkent.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noted the underused potential of transit freight shipments at a meeting on the development of the railway sector, official Uzbek news media reported on Wednesday.
"The sector's potential is far from exhausted. Specifically, opportunities to ship transit freight are not fully used. If the volume of such shipments is increased by 40% in the next few years we could double revenues," Mirziyoyev was quoted as saying in the reports.
The launch of the first freight trains on a route between China and Turkey through Uzbekistan was cited as an example.
"New trains are coming into the country and the number of runs is growing with every year. In light of this, the need to gradually increase the throughput capacity of railway infrastructure was emphasized," the reports said.
The president also noted that 70% of foreign freight currently goes through Chukursay station in Tashkent, which sometimes leads to multiday delays, additional costs and queues. It was therefore proposed that freight stations be moved outside of the capital and bypass lines be built, which would make it possible to double freight traffic without entering Tashkent.
The meeting also addressed issues concerning the quality of provided services. There were reports by officials on plans to purchase electric trains and improve the quality of railway services.
Uzbekistan Railways was restructured in October 2023 in line with a presidential resolution, with the company cutting noncore assets and excess functions. As a result, the company, which previously operated at a loss, closed last year with a net profit of UZS47 billion.
Uzbekistan's railways, which stretch over more than 6,000 km, carried 73.9 million tonnes of freight in 2024, the country's statistics committee reported.
The official exchange rate for May 28 is UZS12,887/$1.
