Zarafshan River washout damages Samarkand–Urgut railway

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan Railways (O'zbekiston Temir Yo'llari) has responded to reports circulating on social media regarding damage to a railway section along the Zarafshan River, confirming that a river washout damaged a portion of the Samarkand–Urgut line in the Taylak district of the Samarkand region.

According to data provided by the company, the incident occurred on 3 July 2026. The damage was triggered by heavy rainfall observed over recent days in the mountainous regions of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. This led to a sharp increase in the water discharge of the Zarafshan River, surging from the typical 80–100 cubic meters per second to 300 cubic meters per second.

The rising water levels caused severe riverbank erosion and shifted the riverbed across certain sections. In the area near the railway line, the riverbed widened to 30–40 meters, causing damage to the coastal railway infrastructure. Company officials noted that a hydrological situation of this severity has not been observed in the area for the past 20 years.

To ensure train traffic safety, engineering work is underway to reinforce the shoreline with large boulders. Fifteen units of specialized machinery and 30 dumpcar train wagons, which have already delivered initial building materials, are involved in mitigating the consequences. Furthermore, an additional 130 dumpcar wagons loaded with stone have been dispatched to the work site.

The company emphasized that all necessary measures are actively being taken to restore the railway link as quickly as possible and ensure uninterrupted train operations.