Urganch airport rail link completed and Chinese train arrives

Urganch airport rail link completed and Chinese train arrives UZBEKISTAN: An 11 km rail link has been built from Urganch station to the city’s international airport. The line is designed to have a capacity of around 650 000 passengers a year. The journey time between Urganch airport and the ancient Silk Road city of Xiva (Khiva) is expected to be around 40 min, although a date for the start of regular passenger services has not yet been announced. Construction cost 225bn so’m and is reported to have created 30 permanent jobs. The project includes a covered two-track terminus station at the airport, a bridge, road crossings and 25 drainage structures. On August 17 President Shavkat Mirziyoyev travelled from the airport to Xiva on a six-car CR200J train supplied from China. The push-pull trainset has a maximum speed of 160 km/h. Accommodation is provided in VIP, business and economy classes, with wi-fi, charging sockets, air-conditioning and facilities for passengers with disabilities. No information has been disclosed on the arrangements under which Uzbekistan acquired the trainset; local sources suggest two have been supplied to Uzbekistan as a symbol of bilateral co-operation ahead of a visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Subscribe to gain access to all news Already have a subscription? Log in. Choose your subscription Considering a corporate subscription? Contact us to find out more.