A railway revolution for the Silk Road
Uzbekistan has completed electrification of the Bukhara–Urgench–Khiva railway (465 km) and is receiving six Hyundai Rotem high-speed trains (250 km/h, 351 passengers each) for an investment of €220 million. The Jaloliddin Manguberdi service will cut the Tashkent–Khiva journey from 14 hours to 7 hours 40 minutes.
The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway
Meanwhile, construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway ($4.7 billion, 523 km, 50 bridges, 29 tunnels) began in December 2024, with completion expected between 2029 and 2030. This project could permanently reshape Central Asian trade and tourism.
Impact on tourist itineraries
Previously, reaching Khiva from Tashkent required either a domestic flight or an overnight slow train. The new high-speed service now allows all Silk Road cities to be connected by rail in a single day, enabling more flexible and economical tour circuits.
