| Project Detail |
The Government of Uzbekistan (the government) has requested Asian Development Bank (ADB) assistance for the electrification of the railway line from Pap to Namangan to Andijan. The proposed project (the Project) will electrify the missing 145.1 kilometers (km) of non-electrified track linking major cities in the populous Fergana Valley with Tashkent. This will facilitate direct and efficient operation of both freight and passenger train services and thereby promote economic and social development of the Fergana Valley.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
With 31 million people, Uzbekistan is the most populous country in Central Asia. Being a double landlocked country, transport plays an important role in sustaining its socioeconomic development.
The project targets the Fergana Valley, which is home to nearly one-third of the countrys population. The valley holds vast industrial and agricultural potential which remains to be fully tapped. Poor transport connectivity is one of the obstacles to the development of the Fergana Valley.
Rail transport has a unique competitive advantage over road transport for moving commodities and goods in bulk over long distances. The 4,669 km Uzbekistan rail network carries about 60 million tons of freight and 15 million passengers annually.
Uzbekistan has continued to modernize its railway infrastructure. Since its founding in 1994, Ozbekiston Temir Yollari (UTY), the vertically integrated public railway company, has gradually implemented a holistic railway modernization program, including the completion of a unified rail network, electrification and modernization of existing lines, and improvement of rolling stock. UTY has worked with development partners to undertake institutional reforms. With support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the government initiated UTY reforms in 1997, under which ancillary rail services were largely separated from core operations. |
