ALMATY, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan hope to bolster tourism with plans for a new railway route between Astana and Samarkand, the Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency reported on Friday.
The announcement, made by Passenger Transportation JSC, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways, came after a meeting in Astana between representatives from Passenger Transportation and Uzbekistan's national transport company, Uzbekiston Temir Yullari (Uzbekistan Railways).
Encouraged by the growing popularity of existing routes, both countries aim to expand the project by adding more international connections. The new Astana-Samarkand line is expected to further boost tourism between the two nations.
Uzbekistan also proposed adjusting the schedule for Train No. 1/2 (Almaty-Tashkent) to better meet passenger demand. The train, covering a 988-km journey, carried over 72,000 passengers in 2024.
Discussions also focused on sharing expertise in passenger transport management, train maintenance, digital systems, and improving online ticket sales.
In November 2024, the Jibek Joly (Silk Road in Kazakh) tourist train, launched as part of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's strategy to develop tourism, began operating its Almaty-Turkestan-Tashkent route. ■
