Hyundai Rotem will deliver HSTs to Uzbekistan

On 13 June 2024 UTY and Hyundai Rotem signed a 270 billion Won (195 million USD) contract for the supply of six high-speed seven-car trains with a maximum speed of 250 km/h. The agreement was signed in the presence of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, during the Korea-Uzbekistan Business Forum held in Tashkent. The contract  marks the first export for high-speed trains developed with Korean technology.

As part of the 2023 - 2026 rail transport reform, according to the President's decision of 10 Octoeber 2023, this purchase of high-speed trains from Hyundai Rotem was planned for October 2023. For this purpose, a loan of 185 million EUR from the Economic Development and Cooperation Fund (EDCF) of the Republic of Korea was to be obtained in November for a period of 35 years, with an annual interest rate of 0.1 % and a ten-year grace period. This has only now been achieved.

The main goal of the agreement is to upgrade UTY’s HST fleet by new trains that meet the latest technical requirements. The Hyundai Rotem trains will be put into operation on most popular interregional routes such as those connecting Tashkent with Urgench (around 970 km west of capital), Khiva (around 1,000 km west of Tashkent) and Nukus (autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan) or between the cities on the electrified lines. The new trains will expand passenger transport opportunities, expand tourism and business opportunities, increase the level of comfort for, and create new jobs.

Recently, UTY launched a contest inviting designers to create the exterior design of the new trains, which should become symbol of the “Uzbekistan-2030” strategy. Under the contract, which also includes maintenance, Hyundai Rotem will deliver 175 m long units for the 1,520 mm gauge and 25 kV 50 Hz voltage. Of seven cars, five will be of economy class, one of business class with bistro seats and one car with VIP seats. A total capacity of each unit will be 389 passengers.

The new trains will be similar to the KTX-Eum trains that Korail put into service in 2021, but wil be adapted to a platform height of 200 mm over TOR and to meet local climate conditions characterised by high desert temperatures (thus they will be fitted with filters to prevent the dust and sand).

During the forum, the two heads of the state signed 17 deals including an agreement on cooperation in the field of transport, an agreement on supporting the activities of the Uzbekistan-Korea joint committee on trade and economic cooperation, among others. The Korean Railroad and Uzbekistan Railways signed a MoU to boost bilateral cooperation on operations, maintenance, technology exchanges and personnel training. Joint projects are being implemented in industry, energy, automotive, chemical, mining, textile, food industry, IT and other important areas. 

So far, the total volume of Korean investments in the Uzbek economy exceeded 7.5 billion USD and inlude 726 enterprises with Korean investment in Uzbekistan. During the forum, more than 80 Korean companies participated with a set of new projects worth 9.6 billion USD  which will give a strong boost to trade and economic cooperation.

To renew its fleet, UTY awarded Škoda Group in October 2023 a contract for the supply of 30 RegioPanter EMUs. Hyundai Rotem will be the next foreign supplier to UTY, thus becoming a competitor to Talgo, which has been operating in the country since July 2009, when a cooperation agreement was signed with UTY to introduce high-speed transport in the Republic of Uzbekistan.