The Tashkent to Samarkand Train Ride with Uzbek Railways

After successfully reaching the summit of Big Chimgan, I didn’t waste any time in Tashkent and went straight to Samarkand. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to book the fast train called “Afrosiyob“, but I managed to get a ticket of the ‘slow’ train called “Sharq“. In this post, I will share useful information about the train ride from Tashkent to Samarkand by Uzbek Railways!

Buying Tickets of the Sharq Train from Tashkent to Samarqand

There are two ways to book your train tickets – online and from the train station directly. Securing the tickets should be your first priority because the demand is so high and the seat availability are all fast moving. I dare say, book the tickets online right away instead of waiting last minute (like me lol).

All Aboard! Book Your Train Tickets with Uzbek Railways Today! 🚂🎟️

Buying Tickets Online

I booked my tickets online (two days before the trip) with the help of the receptionist of Safarov Hostel and managed to secure a seat on the Sharq Train. I asked help for the following reasons:

• Uzbek Railways website needs a higher bandwidth. Both my cellular data (in Uzbekistan) and the hostel’s Wi-Fi takes forever to load thus I keep losing my seat and connection to the website. So make sure you book it somewhere with a stable connection.
• During the payment stage, I’m paying with my UAE credit card and I need an OTP. The OTP is being sent as SMS on my UAE number and the delay is turtle slow due to the poor reception as well.

It could be rare case but consider these factors when booking your tickets to secure your seats. How did the receptionist helped me if you ask, he let me pay using his Uzbek credit card to secure my seat and I paid him directly with no additional cost. Yep, he did gave me an extra mile of service! I forgot his name though 🙁

Lucky me, I managed to book my seat (finally) on the Sharq Train and I received the following confirmation along with my tickets!

As you can see, all the necessary details can be found such as: date and timings, journey duration, seat allocation/number, ticket cost. The actual ticket cost from Tashkent to Samarkand on the Sharq Train by Uzbek Railways is UZS89,590.00 which is equivalent to $7.2 only! Such a steal!

Buying Tickets from the Train Station

A Filipina I met in Uzbekistan (Samarkand) bought her tickets directly from the train station (Samarkand) though. She said tickets are available and you just pay and go, but of course the availability is still a hit and a miss.

Train Station in Tashkent: South Station (Tashkent Yuzhniy)

Once your tickets are ready, check your ticket to which train station are you heading.

There are two train stations in Tashkent namely – North (Stantsiya Tashkent Pass Tsentr.) and South (Tashkent Yuzhniy/Tashkent Janubiy). This post is ONLY about the South Station and please refer to the location map below:

Train Station Location

Unfortunately, the train station is not connected to any metro station as it is somehow outside the vicinity of the city center. There were bus stops nearby but I wasn’t able to figure out the bus routes either. I ended up booking a car from Yandex (from Safarov’s Family Hostel) and I paid UZS36,000.00 which is equivalent to $2.9.

Train Station Facilities

While I wasn’t able to fully explore the train station during my departure (from Tashkent to Samarkand), I saw how nice it was during my return trip (from Samarkand to Tashkent).

There were enough seats as a waiting area, some stores selling snacks and beverages, toilets and the ticketing counter as well. It’s not really extravagant and as beautiful compared to Samarkand’s train station but I think it’s not lacking in any way.

Train Platform

A little surprising (at least to me), the train platform can be accessed from a different entrance gate. Not sure if I missed a step or something but the entrance gate is not inside the main building of the train station. It’s on the right side of the train station with a small separate room as the entrance. After passing through the room (as the entrance) where the bags are inspected, I found myself walking in front of the train platform. And the train platform is exactly at the back of the train station’s main building. Not sure if I did it correctly to be honest.

Just to get things straight, the actual train is heading to Bukhara stopping by in Samarkand.

NOTE: The ticket says you have to ‘check in’ an hour before the train departure and that it ends 30 minutes before departure. This statement left me in frantic every single minute! But upon my arrival at the train station, I did not do any ‘check in’ thing from the entrance gate nor at the train platform at all and I boarded the train 20 minutes before departure. I’m confused about this but I still suggest you to arrive early because on another note, I had a roommate in Samarkand who missed the train and took a taxi all the way from Tashkent. Don’t waste your money like that. 😉

The Sharq Train from Tashkent to Samarkand (Bukhara)

With my very little experience when it comes to trains, it’s my first train ride on a carriage with seating rows. My other train experiences so far are on a sleeper train (Kupe) from Baku to Tbilisi and on an open carriage with bunk beds (Platzkartny) train from Tbilisi to Yerevan. Without any bias, the Sharq Train looks very decent albeit not very modern looking or new.

The whole carriage is clean. I’ve got a mini-table in front of me, an overhead luggage space and an ample leg room. I took my backpack down though due to the movement of the train which caused my backpack to fall. Not the train’s fault, I think I didn’t pushed it inside properly and the train is already moving and I don’t want to be bothered on lifting it again.

With that being said, take note of the following:

• NO Wi-Fi on board. There’s a TV but it’s not Netflix.
• There are certain seats with USB plugs but not everywhere.
• A vendor passed by once to sell snacks but the options are few so bring your own if you must.
• I heard there are toilets but I didn’t see it with my own eyes.

Sharq Train Experience with Uzbek Railways

Despite not being able to book a seat on the Afrosiyob Train, the ride from Tashkent to Samarkand on the Sharq train of Uzbek Railways was a breeze. There were no delays, straightforward and a very decent mode of transportation between the two cities (and other cities). Not to mention that it is affordable for a budget traveler like me. What are you waiting for? Book your tickets now!

All Aboard! Book Your Train Tickets with Uzbek Railways Today! 🚂🎟️