Karel Havlíček, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, clarified details of the agreement to supply trains to Uzbekistan on the X platform.
“A few minutes ago, a significant agreement was signed in the presence of the President of Uzbekistan and the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic for the delivery and servicing of the first 10 electric trains from Škoda Group, supported by EGAP (Czech Export Guarantee and Insurance Company) and the European Investment Bank. I thank everyone involved in this process,” he wrote.
In 2023, during the Uzbek-Czech business forum, Uzbekistan Railways and Škoda Group signed a contract for the supply of 30 electric trains worth 320 million euros. At that time, Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov described the agreement as a turning point for Uzbekistan's railways.
Partial production of low-floor trains was expected to begin in 2024. However, no further news on the delivery of these trains emerged. According to informed sources, the contract was suspended.
In early 2026, Petr Novotný, head of the Škoda group of companies, commented on the situation in an interview with the Czech newspaper Hospodářské Noviny.
“Outside Europe, the most priority market for the company is currently Uzbekistan. […] We are talking about an order for 30 trains, with the possibility of expanding to 100. Škoda Group won a tender in Uzbekistan two years ago, but the process stalled due to export financing issues. Novotný noted that this issue was not fully prepared by Škoda. However, now with the support of the Czech state insurance company EGAP and the European Commission's Global Gateway program, the chances of securing the contract have increased, as the company offered a competitive proposal against Chinese manufacturers,” the January publication said.
“After two years of negotiations, we managed to combine support from within the Czech Republic and the European Union, making it possible to present a comprehensive proposal to the Uzbek government. Therefore, a decision seems very realistic,” Novotný said then.
“If Škoda Group succeeds in the country, it will not stop there and plans to create a hub for the entire Central Asia,” the company head's interview stated.
In November 2025, Škoda Group presented its strategic plan for entering the Uzbek market. According to the plan, a joint venture will be established in the country to handle local assembly of railway cars, technical maintenance, and repair of rolling stock throughout its entire life cycle. The establishment of a Škoda academy for training and retraining specialists in Uzbekistan is also planned.
Source: www.gazeta.uz