K-Railway Establishes Foothold in Central Asia... Korea Rail Network Authority Strengthens Local Network

The Korea Rail Network Authority announced on May 13, 2025, that President Sung Hae Lee visited Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to request cooperation on local railway projects.

On April 30, Sung Hae Lee met with Hikmatulla Rakhmetov, Senior Vice President of Uzbekistan Railways, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for railway cooperation. The two sides agreed to exchange technologies in line with the railway lifecycle and to share information related to infrastructure. At the working level, they plan to hold regular video conferences to exchange opinions. The Authority explained that this has laid the groundwork for winning the main contract for the Tashkent-Samarkand high-speed railway construction project, for which a feasibility study is currently underway.

Sung Hae Lee, President of the Korea Rail Network Authority (left), is taking a commemorative photo with Hikmatulla Rakhmetov, Senior Vice President of Uzbekistan Railways, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the 30th of last month. Provided by the Rail Network Authority

On May 6, a final report meeting was held in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, on the pre-feasibility study for urban railway construction. The meeting was attended by more than 30 officials, including Minister of Transport Azim Ibrohim and representatives from the Tajikistani government and related railway organizations. The necessity and economic and technical feasibility of a 10.4-kilometer urban railway connecting the southern part of the city to the city center were presented. The participants also discussed ways to cooperate on follow-up projects.

Previously, in 2022, the Authority signed an MOU with the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan to cooperate on railway construction in the country. President Lee stated, "We will continue to strengthen our cooperation system with partner countries based on the competitiveness of K-Rail, and pioneer the Central Asian railway market."

Seonghae Lee, President of the Korea National Railway Corporation (third from the right), is taking a commemorative photo with high-ranking officials from both countries after the final report meeting on the pre-feasibility study for the Dushanbe urban railway construction on the 6th. Provided by the Railway Corporation