Getting around by train Uzbekistan

Night trains run from Tashkent-Ourgentch and vice versa every night of the week. Departures from Tashkent at 8.15 p.m., arrival in Urshentch the next day at 2 p.m. In the opposite direction, departing from Urshentch at 3 pm, arriving in Tashkent the next morning at 8.10 am. The train stops at Bukhara and Samarkand. A comfortable but still a bit long way to cross the Kyzyl Kum desert. Plan for some supplies, but street vendors come by regularly.

The Afrosyab train connects Tashkent to Samarkand in just over 2 hours every day, even on weekends. Departures from Tashkent at 7am and 8am, and from Samarkand at 5pm and 6pm. It costs 25-30 US$ in economy class.

The Sharq train continues to connect Tashkent and Samarkand every day in a little less than 3h30. Departure at 8:25 am, arrival in Samarkand at 11:45 am. In the opposite direction, departure from Samarkand at 11:25, arrival in Tashkent at 14:25. The cost of the trip in first or second class is 35-45 US$.

The railway station is located at the end of Movarounhar street (Tashkent metro station). The Afrosyab train connects Tashkent to Samarkand in about 2 hours, even on weekends. The Sharq train runs from Tashkent to Bukhara in 7 hours, serving Samarkand in the process. The Nasaf train serves the south of the country to Karchi every day except Monday. The only international connection is with Moscow: 4 departures per week at 18:50, arrival in Moscow 3 days later at 11:15.

The Bukhara railway station is located in the village of Kagan, about 12 kilometres south-east of Bukhara. The Afrosyab high-speed train connects Tashkent with Samarkand and Bukhara every day, even at weekends. The Sharq train runs between Tashkent and Bukhara every day in 7 hours, and takes only two hours to Tashkent-Samarkand, and two hours more to Samarkand-Bukhara. Departure from Tashkent at 8.30 am, arrival in Bukhara at 3 pm. In the opposite direction, departure from Bukhara at 8.05 am, arrival in Tashkent at 2.25 pm.

The reopening of the railroad line between Tashkent and the Ferghana Valley is a major progress for the Uzbeks as well as for the tourists, allowing the opening up of the cities of the valley up to the border of Kyrgyzstan. In terms of safety, the train is obviously a thousand times preferable to the road, even if the latter remains open for aficionados of strong emotions. Trains run every day, departure at 8:05 am from Tashkent (12:09 pm in Kokand and 1:49 pm in Andijan). The cost is 25 US$ per person in economy class.

Fast trains now go to Khiva from Bukhara. They are not as fast as the Samarkand-Bukhara or Tashkent-Samarkand line, but still allow to go much faster than by car and to travel more comfortably than by plane. Trains are air-conditioned and take about 5 hours. Bukhara-Khiva connection on Monday, Thursday and Saturday (departure 2:10 pm, arrival 7:20 pm) and Khiva-Bukhara on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday (departure 8:23 am, arrival 1:35 pm). The price of the ticket is 9 US$ per person in economy class.