Dushanbe – Moscow train has departed after nearly six years of hiatus

After a six-year hiatus, passenger train service on the route from Dushanbe to Moscow has been resumed. The first train departed on June 21. Train services on this route were halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Tajik Railways, at the first stage, the train will operate once every two weeks. The route passes through the territories of Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. The travel time is about four days.

Experts believe that the resumption of this route is particularly significant for Tajik labor migrants. Given the high cost of air tickets, the train may become a more accessible mode of transport for thousands of Tajik citizens heading to Russia.

According to experts, the resumption of this route may also contribute to the development of transport, trade-economic, and public cooperation between Tajikistan and Russia, facilitating passenger travel. At the same time, they emphasize that the number of passengers depends not so much on the availability of rail service, but on migration policy and the labor market situation in Russia.

The resumption of the Dushanbe-Moscow route is considered one of the important steps in restoring international transport links after the pandemic. It is expected that thousands of passengers will have more opportunities for travel.

However, Tajik Railways is considered one of the most underdeveloped railway systems in the region and has not been updated for years. Despite the progress made worldwide in railway transport and the introduction of modern high-speed trains, the rolling stock of Tajik Railways still mainly consists of Soviet-made locomotives and carriages that require serious modernization and renewal. According to specialists, this situation not only reduces transport speed but also negatively affects the quality of services and passenger safety.