Train traveling through Uzbekistan

Ivana
04/05/2026

So far I have used trains to travel across Mongolia and Uzbekistan. They are excellent means of transport and if there is any possibility to book the train tickets, I sure will (the trip planning to visit Namibia was a bit disappointing due to having a huge network of over 2 700 km of non operating rails, something which I would gladly use to the maximum if I could).

A few weeks ago I did several train trips across Uzbekistan, and crossed 1 700 km while doing so. I traveled (I am adding the prices for you to get the gist of them):

Tashkent to Bukhara – night train, 578 km, 18 euros
Bukhara to Samarkand – modern Afrosiyob high speed train, 278 km, cca 24 euros
Samarkand to Tashkent – regular daily train, 344 km, 14 euros
Tashkent to Margilon – 250 km, 43 eur
Margilon to Tashkent – 250 km, 43 eur

Uzbek people are very friendly and welcoming, which I experienced on my own skin – they will gladly start a conversation while in the train, ask questions very directly and with a lot of curiosity, but without any negative agenda. I was offered local food and some interesting snacks, and the entire life stories and future plans, served on a platter with an honest smile and genuine interest to continue with conversations.

Here are some basic info, tips, and impressions about Uzbek trains.

Uzbekistan has a good railroad coverage and you can easily cross massive distances by using trains – the total length across the country is over 7 000 km (sweet, innit?)
the train tickets offer a lot of value for money and they allow some freedom to move, compared to buses
Uzbek trains are very comfortable and clean; they look like O’zbekiston temir yo’llari (the national railway company) is consistently taking care of them
train tickets can be easily purchased on https://eticket.railway.uz/en/home and the process is very fast, reliable and has the option to use the english language while doing so
it is highly recommended to buy the tickets as early as you can as they sell out fast – my mistake, which cost me losing an entire large branch of exploration, was due to trying to buy the ticket to Nukus seven days before the flight; Nukus is a city which is 16h away from Tashkent by train and it departs once a day so it makes a lot of sense that the tickets get sold out fast
the ticket comes with a QR code, but due to eSIM instability and occasionally lower mobile networks coverage (as others reported) is very good to print them out before the trip, just in case; I was not the only one carrying the A4 pieces of paper with tickets printed out in the train stations
you are advised to reach the train station at least 30 min before the departure
at every train station (even the metro station) are security check points on which the bags are scanned and you must pass through the metal detector
have your passport and ticket ready at hand for the inspection before boarding the train
the ticket states the number of your wagon and your seat, which is your reserved place – try to sit on the place you paid, to avoid unnecessary complications, reseating etc.
every wagon has its own attendant – this is a person who will check your ticket and your passport, bring tea or coffee, offer food, and generally take care of the passengers during the trip – they are fluent in english, extremely polite and very willing to help or advise in case something happens so feel more than free to interact with them
every railroad station is located within the city, except for Bukhara – the station is located in Kagan which is 10 km away
every coupe comes with a table equipped with teapots, different types of tea, sugarcubes and newspapers

When you buy a train ticket in Uzbekistan, and have a start/end point in Tashkent, be aware that this city has two train stations – the northern one (Shimoliy vokzal – Северный вокзал) and the southern one (Zhanubiy vokzal -Жанубий вокзал). Make sure you are aware of from which one you should be departing from, because they are 7km apart and it is questionable if you would have enough time to reach the needed one due to traffic. This is stated on the ticket clearly.

The northern train station in Tashkent (Shimoliy vokzal)