"We are not animals" – Passengers outraged by poor conditions on Uzbekistan Railways trains

On March 4, Kun.uz received complaints from passengers traveling by train from Khorezm to Volgograd, Russia.

According to their reports, on March 2 at 14:30, passengers boarding the "Uzbekistan Railways" train from Urgench to Volgograd witnessed unhygienic conditions inside the carriages, which failed to meet basic standards.

"We boarded the Urgench–Volgograd train at 14:30. The conditions inside were so appalling that people wanted to leave immediately, believe me.

"There were cockroaches and worms — everything. The heat was unbearable, people were sweating. The windows were filthy, the situation was truly deplorable. Can’t they at least disinfect the place? It does not meet any standards at all. We are human beings, not animals," said one passenger in their complaint to the editorial team.

The photos provided by the passenger clearly depict the poor state of the train's interior.

Kun.uz has reached out to the press service of "Uzbekistan Railways" regarding the issue. The press office responded that the situation is currently under review.

Price hikes but no quality improvement

Since October 2023, ticket prices for "Uzbekistan Railways" trains have been raised multiple times. Notably, from February 1, fares for "Afrosiyob" trains increased by 25%, while ticket prices for "Uzbekistan," "Sharq," and "Nasaf" trains rose by 30%. The fare component of non-high-speed (sleeper) passenger train tickets was raised by 10.5%.

Officials had justified the price increases by stating that the railway sector would become self-sustaining, corruption would be eradicated, and service quality would improve. However, passengers have yet to see any noticeable improvements.

Previously, Russian blogger Ilya Varlamov had criticized the service quality of "Uzbekistan Railways."

At that time, Varlamov pointed out that a "luxury" compartment ticket on the Tashkent–Samarkand route cost over $100, yet the conditions were far from meeting expectations.

Similarly, passengers on the Khiva–Andijan route had complained that despite their tickets stating that air conditioning was available, the cooling system was not functioning in the sweltering heat. After a group of artists shared a video about the issue, "Uztemiryolyolovchi" acknowledged the problem, attributing it to outdated carriages and extreme temperatures, and issued an apology.