Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev inspected domestically produced railcars and reviewed the newly electrified railway line along the Urgench–Khiva route.

The electrification of the entire 465-kilometer-long Bukhara–Urgench–Khiva railway line has now been fully completed. Protective fencing has been installed along the route, and engineering structures have been constructed.

To serve this direction, six high-speed Hyundai Rotem electric trains will be purchased from South Korea. Beginning next year, they will operate between Tashkent and Khiva under the name “Jaloliddin Manguberdi.”

As a result, the railway will be able to serve over 3 million passengers annually. The travel time from Tashkent to Khiva, previously 14 hours, will be reduced to 7 hours and 40 minutes.

The freight capacity of the railway is also set to increase significantly—from the current 1 million to 6 million tons per year.

In line with the Presidential decree of 10 October 2023 on comprehensive reforms in the railway sector, the railcar fleet is undergoing major modernization. The Reconstruction and Development Fund has allocated $50 million for railcar manufacturing. In the first quarter of this year, the first 10 new passenger cars were already produced.

The head of state examined the amenities provided in these new railcars. Over the next two years, the number of such cars is expected to increase to 70, while outdated models will be gradually phased out. This will allow for the transport of over one million additional passengers each year.

The president also took a ride on the new Urgench–Khiva train together with members of the public. During the trip, he inspected landscaping efforts along the route and observed saplings planted on the edges of the fields.

As part of the national project “Yashil Makon” (“Green Space”), nearly 10 million trees and shrubs were planted in the Khorezm region last year. Major industrial enterprises have also established their own green belts.

This spring, the area under cultivation was expanded: more than 1,100 hectares along fields and canals have been planted with profitable crops. Entrepreneurs are placing advance orders, and the public is receiving information about available land plots through the mobile app Agroko‘makchi.