Uzbekistan and South Korea are moving forward with ambitious plans to expand high-speed rail infrastructure, with both sides discussing the next phase of the proposed Tashkent-Samarkand high-speed railway project.

The talks took place on June 10, 2026, in South Korea and brought together representatives of Uzbekistan’s railway and transport sectors alongside leading South Korean partners involved in transport and infrastructure development, The Caspian Post reports via UzDaily.

The Uzbek delegation included Sharafiddin Kadyrov, Chief Engineer of Uzbekistan Railways, and Transport Ministry representative Anvar Dushayev. They met with Lee Hee-young, Executive Director of Saman Corporation, to review ongoing cooperation and discuss preparations for the project's feasibility study.

A key focus of the meeting was the development of the final feasibility study for the new high-speed rail line linking Tashkent and Samarkand, two of Uzbekistan’s most important cities. The parties reviewed recommendations provided by the Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) and agreed on a timeline for completing the final version of the study.

South Korean experts reaffirmed their commitment to providing technical expertise and consulting support for Uzbekistan’s growing high-speed rail network. In addition to the Tashkent-Samarkand project, cooperation is also continuing on proposed high-speed railway corridors connecting Tashkent with Andijan and Termez.

The planned projects are expected to significantly improve connectivity across Uzbekistan, reduce travel times, and support economic development by strengthening links between major population centers and industrial regions.

Both sides concluded the meeting by reaffirming their intention to deepen cooperation and continue working together on large-scale transport infrastructure initiatives.