Korea, Uzbekistan High-Speed Rail Feasibility Study... "K-Rail Establishes Footing for Central Asia Expansion"

Korea Railroad Corporation (hereinafter Korail) announced on the 13th that the K-Rail One Team will take charge of the "Feasibility Study (F/S) Project for the Uzbekistan High-Speed Railway Construction Project," commissioned by the Export-Import Bank of Korea with funds from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF).

The K-Rail One Team, composed of Korail, the Korea Rail Network Authority, Saman (lead company), and Dongmyeong Engineering Corporation, will conduct a feasibility study for the construction of a new high-speed railway connecting Tashkent and Samarkand in Uzbekistan.

Exterior view of the Daejeon Railway Headquarters. Provided by Korea Railroad Corporation

This project will be carried out over 15 months until March 2026. The main project contents include on-site surveys for the establishment of a new high-speed railway network in Uzbekistan, future traffic demand forecasting, basic infrastructure planning, project cost estimation and economic analysis, and invitation training programs.

In particular, Korail and the Korea Rail Network Authority plan to enhance the completeness of the project by conducting feasibility studies from the design and construction stages to operation and maintenance of the Uzbekistan high-speed railway.

The Uzbek Railways, the commissioning agency, highly evaluated the K-Rail One Team’s superior position in Korean high-speed railway construction and KTX operation technology, as well as their differentiated invitation training programs, and entrusted them with this project.

This order is a result achieved by the K-Rail One Team, which participated in the bid with accumulated experience in high-speed railway construction and operation. Korail plans to use this as a stepping stone not only to transfer Korea’s advanced high-speed railway technology to Uzbekistan but also to enhance the value of the K-Rail brand by expanding the overseas market for Korean high-speed railways.

A K-Rail One Team official said, “Following the first export of high-speed train vehicles in June, we have laid the foundation for Korean high-speed rail to enter the Central Asian market based on 20 years of experience and know-how in high-speed railway construction and KTX operation. We will strive to ensure that this project leads to the export of Korean railway technology worldwide.”