Plans are underway to purchase 10 modern electric trains from the Czech company Skoda Transportation as part of an effort to modernize the suburban rail transport fleet.
The trains in question are Skoda 25Ev models, which are set to replace the aging ER9E-series trains. The new trains are designed to seat 432 passengers, compared to roughly 240 in a four-car ER9E set.
The new electric trains will feature air conditioning, USB ports, LED information screens, video surveillance and automatic fire alarm systems. They will also include designated spaces for passengers with limited mobility and a removable ramp.
The trains also stand out for their energy efficiency. A regenerative braking system feeds part of the energy generated during braking back into the contact network. According to estimates, this could cut electricity consumption by 24 to 27 percent.
Faster acceleration and braking are also expected to shorten travel times by 10 to 15 percent on routes with frequent stops, potentially allowing for more frequent service without large-scale infrastructure reconstruction.
The new electric trains are planned to be deployed on the following routes:
- Tashkent–Chirchiq–Chinorkent
- Tashkent–Yangiyul–Chinoz–Sirdaryo–Gulistan–Yangiyer–Xovos–Bekobod
- Tashkent–Nurafshon–Ohangaron–Angren
- Tashkent–Keles
- Kokand–Pop–Namangan–Andijan–Margilan (loop route)
- Samarkand–Bukhara
- Samarkand–Qarshi–Shahrisabz
The purchase is planned as part of a broader program to develop electric rail transport. Alongside it, projects are underway to electrify 182 kilometers of railway and build 151 kilometers of new rail lines.
Skoda Group announced in May that it had signed a strategic agreement to supply 10 modern electric trains. The deal was signed at the Kuksaroy residence in Tashkent, with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš in attendance.
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