Talgo maintenance contract Uzbekistan: deal for Talgo 250

Talgo maintenance contract Uzbekistan covers Talgo 250 high-speed trains in Central Asia, with Spanish manufacturer Talgo set to carry out the work. As previously covered by Railway Supply,

Uzbekistan Railways (Oʻzbekiston Temir Yoʻllari – UTY) awarded an agreement worth almost EUR 80 million, running for ten years and covering maintenance for six Talgo 250 trainsets.

Talgo maintenance contract in Uzbekistan: scope and value

Talgo says the agreement is the largest maintenance contract it has won in Uzbekistan and follows more than 15 years of successive agreements that have strengthened the presence of Spanish high-speed rail technology in Central Asia. The Talgo 250 high-speed trains operate in Uzbekistan at a maximum commercial speed of 230 km/h, while they are designed to reach 275 km/h.

Don’t miss…Shepparton Line Upgrade completes final stage on V/Line

Talgo 250 fleet timeline and Afrosiyob service

Uzbekistan Railways assembled its Talgo 250 fleet in several steps. The first two trains, each with nine cars, were purchased in 2009 and entered service in 2011. A second contract signed in 2011 added two more 11-car units, which have been operational since 2017. UTY expanded again in 2019 with two additional Talgo 250 trains, each with 11 cars, which began operating in 2021. The operator also bought four extra cars to bring the two trains from the first contract from nine cars to 11.

In Uzbekistan, the Talgo 250 trainsets are known as Afrosiyob and mainly run on the Tashkent–Samarkand–Bukhara–Karshi route. The same platform is used in Spain, where Renfe operates Talgo 250 sets as the 130 and 730 series under the commercial name Alvia. The trains feature natural tilting technology, allowing higher speeds through curves thanks to passive tilting of the bogies. Unlike the Spanish models, there is no need to change gauge in Uzbekistan because the trains run exclusively on the 1,520 mm wide gauge.

Hyundai Rotem expansion and new maintenance facility

UTY is also expanding its high-speed fleet and, in June 2024, signed a contract with Hyundai Rotem for the delivery of six high-speed trains with seven cars each, capable of traveling at 250 km/h. The deal is valued at USD 195.7 million, with the purchase made on the basis of a presidential decision in 2024.

On December 29, the Uzbekistan railway company inaugurated a new technical maintenance facility for the high-speed trains delivered by Hyundai Rotem. It is equipped with modern equipment, including 25 kV indoor electrified lines, an extensive multi-level infrastructure, and efficient real-time traffic control systems. The site forms part of a high-speed train maintenance center that has been operating since 2018 and servicing Afrosiyob trains.

For additional detail on the agreement, Talgo has outlined the contract and its scope in a company update on Talgo, while the contract value and duration have also been reported by Railway Gazette International.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed: