The strategic importance of the development of railway transport communications in the Republic of Uzbekistan

Seytimbetov Minsizbay Kazakhbevich PhD in History Associate Professor, Department of History of Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan, Karakalpak State University named after Berdakh 743100, Uzbekistan, Republic of Karakalpakstan, Nukus, Agabiy str., 5 sq. 1 minsizbay.seytimbetov@mail.ru

During the period of Uzbekistan's independence, the country's railway transport became the object of close attention as part of the strategy for infrastructure development and strengthening economic ties both domestically and internationally. The reforms launched during this period were aimed at modernizing and expanding the railway network, creating new transport corridors, as well as establishing mutually beneficial partnerships with other countries. In this article, we will consider the key aspects of the development of railway transport in Uzbekistan during the period of independence, as well as its impact on the economic and social development of the country.

The development of railway transport is an important aspect of the economic and social development of the state. Perhaps that is why, after gaining independence, Uzbekistan began to pay great attention to the development of railway transport. Significant reforms have been implemented in this area over the years. As a result, in the period from 1994 to 2009, a significant increase in freight turnover by railways was recorded by 63% and freight turnover in general by 65%, and the freight turnover of transit routes doubled.

Railway transport is important for the economy of our state. The State Joint-Stock Railway Company Uzbekistan Temir Yullari has been selflessly providing services in the field of railways since its foundation. Uzbekistan has an extensive network of railways, the total length of which currently exceeds 64,000 km, of which 4,230 km are public roads. Approximately 22% of these roads, i.e. 932.7 km, are electrified.

As a result, the organization of electric locomotive traffic led to a 20% reduction in transportation costs and a 1.3-fold increase in the speed of transportation of passengers and cargo. If in 2011 the high–speed electric train Afrosiyob, purchased from the Spanish company Talgo, began running between the cities of Tashkent and Samarkand, then in August 2015 the same high-speed train was launched on the Tashkent-Karshi route and on August 25, 2016 on the Tashkent–Bukhara route. It should be noted that such equipment of the latest modification is operated in only eight countries of the world. This train is capable of carrying 215 passengers, passes the Tashkent - Samarkand route in 2 hours, Tashkent–Karshi in 2.5 hours and Tashkent - Bukhara in 3 hours and 25 minutes ^[1].

During the period of independence, the State Joint-Stock Railway Company Uzbekistan Temir Yullari successfully made capital investments totaling more than 2.5 trillion soums, including attracting foreign investments in the amount of 630 million US dollars. In 2002, the company built a new railway line Navoi - Uchkuduk - Sultanuizdag - Nukus with a length of 341.6 km with its own funds in a short time, and in 2004 the only bridge in Central Asia across the Amu Darya with a length of 681 meters was built on this section. The constructed railway line made it possible to reduce the distance on this route by 300 km or 5.5 hours and led to savings of 50 to 60 million US dollars per year. The completion of this line has opened a new transit route from Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan, Russia and European countries without customs barriers. Due to the completion of the construction of infrastructure facilities, more than 2,000 new jobs were created for this project.

In the period from 1998 to 2006, the State Joint-Stock Railway Company Uzbekistan Temir Yullari carried out a large-scale re-equipment of more than 600 km of railways on the Tashkent- Samarkand and Samarkand-Bukhara sections. To finance these works, funds from the Asian Development Bank in the amount of 132 million US dollars were attracted, as well as loans provided by OPEC in the amount of 5 million dollars. The result of the project was an increase in the speed of passenger trains to 120 km per hour, as well as the launch of high-speed trains "Registan", "Shark" and "Nasaf", providing communication between the Samarkand, Bukhara and Kashkadarya regions with the capital and providing a high level of passenger service ^[2].

Thanks to the loan funds of the German Development Bank and the Kuwait Economic Development Fund, as well as the company's own resources, the 114 km long Tukimachi-Angren railway line was electrified. This resulted in significant diesel fuel savings of $2.5 million. The resulting economic efficiency is 6 million US dollars per year.

During the years of independence, 640 km of railways were put into operation, including the Navoi-Uchkuduk - Sultanuizdag - Nukus and Tashguzar - Baysun-Kumkurgan lines. In addition to the construction of new lines, much attention was paid to the electrification, modernization and repair of existing railways.

Since ancient times, Uzbekistan has served as a bridge connecting the west and the east. Our country today has huge potential and opportunities as an important strategic territory. An example of this is the significant creative work carried out during the years of independence. Significant changes and modernizations in the communications and transport system, including railways, are activating the development processes of Uzbekistan. Thanks to the Kamchik Ferghana Valley pass and the Navoi - Uchkuduk-Sultanuizdag-Nukus railway, the northern regions have the opportunity to effectively connect with the central regions.

The construction of the Tashguzar-Baysun-Kumkurgan railway passing through mountains, ravines and streams has been completed in the country, which represents a significant achievement in the world practice of railway construction. This railway is of great strategic importance, as it serves as a key element in the development of our country's international relations and contributes to the growth of our economy. Passing through Afghanistan and Iran to the Persian Gulf, it opens up new opportunities for trade and economic cooperation.

The company's implementation of the project "Design, construction, installation and commissioning of the railway line between Khairatan and Mazar-I-Sharif" is aimed at achieving access to the world market and increasing the export potential of the state. The completion of the construction of a new 106 km railway in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan will further increase the transit and export potential of Uzbekistan.

In this oasis, through which the railway passes, there are many natural resources - from oil, gas, table salt and calcium salt to coal, expanded clay, crushed stone, lime, gypsum and polymetallic ore. All minerals and raw materials presented in the periodic table of Mendeleev are located here. Undoubtedly, rail transport plays an important role in the development and transportation of these natural resources.

The new railway line has become the basis of an independent, unified and integral railway transport system of our state. The establishment of links between the southern regions, the center and other regions contributed to improving the efficiency of the transport industry in the national economy. Thanks to this railway line, it was possible to reduce the distance of transportation of goods and passengers by 170 km, as well as save time by 7 hours. The new highway has not only played an important role in the development of Uzbekistan, but has also contributed to the development of the entire region. Thanks to access to third countries through our region, local producers were able to save more than 50 million US dollars annually, which contributes to an increase in the transit role and export potential of our state.

Independence has provided ample opportunities for the development of transport infrastructure in our state. The establishment of large-scale ties with world powers and the development of economic, socio-cultural spheres stimulated the deployment of the railway network in a new direction. Therefore, special attention was paid to the construction of new railway lines in order to further develop our country.

Table 1.

The Navoi – Uchkuduk – Sultanuizdag - Nukus and Tashguzar – Baysun - Kumkurgan railway lines built during the years of independence allowed not only to expand domestic relations, but also improved transport links with foreign countries.

The Hairaton-Mazar-I-Sharif railway, 106 km long, opened on January 22, 2010, has become a key element of infrastructure, providing our state with access to the Indian Ocean and opening up prospects for access for northern countries to southern and southeastern Asian countries. The Navoi-Uchkuduk-Sultanuizdag-Nukus railway with a length of 341.6 km and the 681-meter-long railway and automobile bridge across the Amu Darya in Central Asia have also become important elements of the development of transport infrastructure. The construction of the Tashguzar – Baysun - Kumkurgan railway with a length of 223 km not only reduced the distance of freight and passenger traffic, but also allowed avoiding transit fees. During the construction of the Tashguzar – Baysun - Kumkurgan railway, 9 platforms and stations were created and put into operation on a mountainous terrain at an altitude of 1800 meters, including Tashkent, Dehkanabad, Akrabat, Darband and Baysun. 43 railway bridges and overpasses were built on this line, of which 9 are located at an altitude of 1,500 meters above sea level. The construction of this road became the basis for the creation of a unified railway network connecting the Kashkadarya and Surkhandarya regions in the south of the country with other regions. This route through the trans-Afghan corridor opened access from the ports of the southern and southeastern states to the Indian Ocean, stimulating transport links and trade in the region ^[3.717].

The head of our state, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has set ambitious goals since the beginning of his presidential activity, realizing the importance and relevance of the development of Central Asia as a single region. He put forward the idea of an active regional policy, the creation of a favorable political climate in Central Asia and the establishment of constructive and mutually beneficial relations with the countries of the region in various fields, including transport. The transport industry has been identified as one of the priority areas of Uzbekistan's foreign policy.

Special attention in our country is paid to the development of transport infrastructure and the increase in transit cargo transportation. In the period from 2015 to 2019, a program for the development and modernization of engineering, communication and road transport infrastructure was successfully implemented in Uzbekistan. Within the framework of this program, a comprehensive strategy for the development of the national transport network has been developed that meets international requirements and standards. This strategy provides for the broad integration of the national transport system into the international transport infrastructure, which allows the products of domestic manufacturers to successfully compete in the regional and global markets ^[4.91].

Railway transport occupies a leading and important place among the existing modes of transport in Uzbekistan. Its advantages over other modes of transport are lower environmental impact, high load capacity and passenger capacity, as well as the ability to move regularly even in adverse weather conditions.

Currently, an in-depth analysis of the development path traversed by our country, as well as changes in the global market environment and increased competition in the context of globalization require the development and implementation of new approaches and principles in the transport system, including rail transport, to ensure a more sustainable and dynamic development of our state.

The action strategy for the five priority areas of further development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for 2017-2021 pays attention to the goals of improving the effectiveness of reforms carried out in the field of railway transport. The main objectives of the strategy include the electrification of railways, the construction of new railway lines, as well as the reconstruction and renewal of passenger cars. As a result of the implementation of these tasks, new railway lines were built and put into operation in 2018: Bukhara-Miskin with a length of 357.3 km and Urgench-Khiva with a length of 33.8 km. 124 km of railways on the Karshi-Kitab line were also electrified ^[5].

During the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan on March 22-23, 2017, important issues of the development of transport corridors between the two states, as well as the reconstruction of many highways and mutual preferences in the field of transport services were discussed. Special attention was paid to the discussion of the possibilities of launching the Tashkent – Alma-Ata high-speed train. An important event was also the participation of the Republic of Uzbekistan in direct rail transportation of container trains on the routes China-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran and China-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan since 2019.

The construction of the Mazar-I-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway, with a length of about 600 km, is an important promising project connecting Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The implementation of this project will significantly reduce the country's cost of access to the sea by 2-3 times. In addition, the time required to deliver Uzbek goods to Pakistan may be reduced from 30-35 days to 10-15 days. This road also helps to reduce transport costs between Russia and Pakistan by 15-20%. “The intensification of trade turnover between these states is also of interest to transit countries. For example, after the construction of this road, freight traffic may increase from 4 million tons to 10 million tons, which opens up new prospects for the development of trade and economic cooperation in the region” [6. 717].

The strategic importance of the development of railways in Uzbekistan was once again emphasized in the congratulation of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated August 5, 2022, addressed to railway transport workers of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In this address, it was noted: “Since we have such an ambitious and noble goal as the creation of a new Uzbekistan, it is natural to attach special importance to the development of the railway industry, which is a factor in modern development. Thanks to the large-scale work that we have been carrying out in this direction in recent years, Uzbekistan's transit potential and authority are increasing.

Undoubtedly, the expansion of railway networks in our country opens up new opportunities for the balanced development of all territories and the integrated development of rich mineral resources. In this context, the statement that railways are vital arteries of the country is also true.

We are well aware that rail transport plays a huge role in bringing distant settlements closer and alleviating difficulties. It is the most convenient and safe mode of transport. It is especially important to note that today, when the noble principle of “For the sake of human dignity” is the basis of all our reforms, the role and importance of railway transport in our lives are even more increasing.

Therefore, the priority task is to increase freight and passenger transportation by rail, ensure their safety, improve the quality of services, further strengthen the material and technical base and human resources of the industry. In particular, the fleet of locomotives, freight and passenger cars is being modernized, new railway stations and engineering structures are being built, special attention is being paid to the training of highly qualified personnel, systematic improvement of their knowledge and experience” ^[7].

The President of the Republic of Uzbekistan noted that “As a result of consistent reforms in the industry, intensive work is underway to electrify the Bukhara–Miskin railway network, build a new Shavat–Karauzyak railway line and a railway and automobile bridge across the Amu Darya. Currently, in a period of rapid development, we face very important and urgent tasks for the further development of the industry. In accordance with the requirements of the new development strategy of Uzbekistan, we still have a lot to do to modernize the country's railway system, implement large and promising projects with broad attraction of foreign investment in the industry, train modern personnel who think in a new way, faithfully serve our people and Homeland,” he said ^[8].

In recent years, extensive relations with foreign partners have been established in the development of the railway industry. For example, on October 31, 2021, Uzbek Railways and Russian Railways (RZD) considered the construction of a railway passing through Afghanistan. During negotiations between representatives of railway companies of Uzbekistan and Russia on October 29, a project for the construction of a railway along the Termez- Mazar-I-Sharif – Kabul -Peshawar route was discussed. As a result of the negotiations, the following agreements were reached:

On the exchange of information between research and design institutes on technical and cartographic parameters;

The capacity, advantages and disadvantages of each proposed route are considered and brought to the attention of the Afghan side.

Negotiations with the participation of the heads of railway companies of Uzbekistan, Russia and Afghanistan will take place in the near future.

It is important to note that the integration of Afghanistan's transport systems into the CIS Transport Council was also discussed. The initial total cost of the railway project through Afghanistan was $5 billion, and its transit potential is estimated at 20 million tons of cargo per year. The new railway will connect the countries of the European Union, Russia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and the countries of Southeast Asia” ^[9].

On February 24, 2022, the Minister of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Ilham Makhkamov, met in Tehran with the President of the Union of Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Syed Miad Salehi. At the meeting, the parties discussed priority areas for the development of mutually beneficial cooperation between Uzbekistan and Iran in the field of railway transportation. Representatives of both sides noted the importance of further development of cooperation in this direction, given that cargo transportation between our countries is actively growing, with 80% of transportation carried out by rail ^[10].

The prospects of organizing cargo transportation through the Iranian port of Chobahor were also discussed during the meeting.

On February 25, 2022, the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Laziz Kudratov met with the Minister of Finance of Pakistan Isaac Dor in Tashkent as part of the visit of the Pakistani delegation to Uzbekistan. The parties discussed measures to further increase the volume of Uzbek-Pakistani mutual trade, which reached $ 240 million. The idea of taking concrete measures to implement the Preferential Trade Agreement in practice and accelerate the diversification of transport corridors in order to create prerequisites for increasing mutual trade turnover was supported. An agreement was also reached at the meeting to accelerate the implementation of the trans-Afghan railway construction project. Among the agreed measures, the issues of creating terminals in the territories of both states were considered in order to increase multimodal cargo transportation and joint export of products to the markets of third countries ^[11].

The construction of a new railway line at the beginning of the XXI century in the footsteps of the ancient Great Silk Road became a historical event in the life of the republic. This highway established a connection between the west through the territories of Karakalpakstan. Now from the capital of Karakalpakstan, Nukus in the southeast along the Miskin-Uchkuduk-Navoi route to all regions of Uzbekistan, Central Asian states, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Siberia and the East, and in the southwest along the Miskin-Gazoshak-Chorjou route to Turkmenistan, Iran and the Middle East, as well as in the north via the route Kungrad-Beineu to Western Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the possibility of railway communication with the Transcaucasian republics and European states has appeared.

Based on the above, it can be concluded that the Republic of Uzbekistan has a unique geographical location and a specific transport composition, which determines the importance of developing transport infrastructure, especially railway lines. Uzbekistan, located in the center of Eurasia, plays a key role in the transit of goods and passengers between the countries of Europe and Asia. In this regard, it is strategically important that our country actively participates in international projects aimed at strengthening transport links between the countries of the North and South, as well as between the West and the East. Participation in such projects contributes to the expansion of economic opportunities, improvement of infrastructure and creation of new partnerships for the development of trade and transport links.