Uzbekistan: First in the country push-pull train from China’s CRRC entered service in mid-August, running on a new 11 km line linking Urgench International Airport with the railway station in Khiva. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev rode the inaugural six-car CR200J train himself.
The electric train seats around 400 passengers and runs at up to 160 km/h. Onboard, VIP, business and economy classes sit alongside air conditioning, heating and facilities for passengers with disabilities.
The route is expected to carry around 650,000 passengers a year, with journey time cut to 40 minutes. The project cost UZS 225 bln ($19 mln) in total, covering construction of the line as well as a new station, a bridge, road crossings and 25 culverts. The contract with CRRC for the train supply had not been publicly disclosed before.
Video of the first run of a CRRC CR200J push-pull train from China, with the country’s president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, on board. Source: Press Service of the President of Uzbekistan
CR200J Fuxing trains have run in China since 2019, with each trainset built around a head motor car at one end and a driving trailer at the other. Uzbekistan is now the third country outside China to take delivery of the model, joining Laos and Malaysia.
