Train times in Tajikistan

[Wahlsted]

Does anyone know about timetables/departure times for domestic trains in Tajikistan? I have searched but found more or less nothing.

The international trains Moscow - Dushanbe (3/week) and Moscow - Khundjad (1/week) that still runs are searchable at rzd.ru or tutu.travel (they don't stop in Uzbekistan to let anyone on or of) but of little use. Local trains are generally not in there database.
https://www.tutu.travel/poezda/view_d.php?np=18f7a30b

Some sources say ther is a daily local Dushanbe - Pakhtaabad (Tursunzoda) and Dushanbe - qurgonteppa (-Kulob?). Have anyone seen a timetable for them? A photo of the timetable board in Dushanbe railway station perhaps?

[Solsticio]

When I was in Kulob in October, they had just inaugurated a new train station. A daily train now goes between Kulob and Dushanbe, passing through Qurgonteppa. It takes about 8 hours compared to 2-2,5 hours by shared taxis directly from Kulob to Dushanbe, so I would only recommend it if you want to pass through Qurgonteppa. I didn't write down the time table, but in any case it was not a night train.

[Wahlsted]

I went there and checked, so now I can answer my own question.

According to what is posted at the station in Dushanbe the trains running (June 2017) in Tajikistan is:

Long distance trains of little use for domestic travel (bookable through the “Express” system as in all CIS states, timetable and days can be found at rzd.ru and elsewhere):
319-329/320-330 Dushanbe – Moscow – Dushanbe, 4/week (reduced to 2/week?)
359/360 Khujand – Moscow – Khujand, 1/week
367/368 Dushanbe ( - Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan) – Khujand – Konibodom and back, 1/week at special order. Runs only spring and autumn.

Local trains, without booking and not found in “Express” or any search engine:
602 Dushanbe 08.00 – Kurgonteppa 12.00 – Kulob 15.40, Tuesday & Saturday
604 Dushanbe 08.00 – Kurgonteppa 12.00 – Shahrtuz 14.36, Tuesday & Saturday
601 Kulob 08.00 - Kurgonteppa 11.31 – Dushanbe 15.32, Wednesday & Sunday
603 Shahrtuz 08.50 - Kurgonteppa 11.31 – Dushanbe 15.32, Wednesday & Sunday
6373 Dushanbe 17.25 – Pakhtaabad (= Tursunzoda) 19.55, Daily
6374 Pakhtaabad 04.42 – Dushanbe 07.03, Daily

I went from Dushanbe with the train to Kurgonteppa where it splits to Kulob/ Shahrtuz. At the return the following day the two trains is joined together in Kurgonteppa. A very slow ride, but scenic through the mountains at the new-built (2016) railway. Definitely safer and more comfortable than the return by high-speed taxi at the mountain roads taking half the time...

[steven]

Wonderful stuff, thank you!

I just noticed there is a new train going from Dushanbe to Astana ( over Beyneu and Zhezkazgan! ). Not sure if it will last beyond Expo2017, though.

https://rus.azattyq.org/a/28562588.html

[Provodnik]

The Dushanbe - Astana train doesn't use the relatively new line Kumkurgan - Tashguzar (- Karshi) inside Uzbekistan, but uses the traditional route around the mountains via Kelif/Turkmenistan. So it's probaly of not much use for international tourists, who need a visa for Turkmenstan.

[mandelbrot]

Thurs. 319 Kulob 17:32 - Kurgonteppa 21:12/21:32 - (Fri.) Dushanbe 2:27/3:07 - Pakhtaabad (?) - cont. to Moscow
Tue/Sat* 329 Dushanbe 3:07 - Pakhtaabad (?) - cont. to Moscow
Weds. 359 Khujand 15:13 - Spitamen 15:59/16:59 - cont. to Moscow

Friday 320 from Moscow - Pakhtaabad 15:22/15:24 - Dushanbe 16:51/17:21 - Kurgonteppa 22:20/22:40 - (Sat.) Kulob 2:12
Sun/Wed 330 from Moscow - Pakhtaabad 15:22/15:24 - Dushanbe 16:51
Thurs. 360 from Moscow - Spitamen 1:42/2:42 - Khujand 3:28

The day of the week at the start is the day that the train will be running through Tajikistan, not the day of origination from Moscow (for eastbound trains). Everything is from RZD.

*Might be Wednesday/Sunday, not sure about that.

[togreiser]

I would just like you to know that tutu.travel has the option to book Samarkand → Khudzhand (Khujand) → Samarkand train. Its part of the Moscow → Khudzhand (Khujand) → Moscow trains train 359/360.

It looks like its once a week on Wednesday both ways

18:25 from Samarkand to Khudzhand (Khujand) @03:00+1

15:13 from Khudzhan (Khujand) to Samarkand @22:48

It also says tha Online check-in is available.

Does anyone know if this information is correct?

I will try the Samarkand to Khudzhand (Khujand) route in september.

[Christian77]

Here's an update to the Tajikistan train schedules:

In classic Tajikistan fashion, they have changed the times and the schedule, but they have left the old schedule posted inside the Dushanbe vokzal and on their website. I only know that the southern local routes have had their times changed, I'm not sure about the other routes. But, miraculously, my local friend called the Tajik Rail number and it was answered (nobody answers the phone here at any official place). So you can get your hotel or hosts or guide to call and confirm times (well, at least we were able to do it once.) for your planned route. Or you can walk into the station and ask, like I did. They are very conveniently located very near the centre.

The Khatlon train station (basically, the Qurghonteppa/Kurhan-Tyube/Bokhtar stop) has the correct schedule posted with hand written corrections: the trains headed south from Dushanbe leave on Wednesday and Saturday (same times), not Tuesday and Saturday. The train return to Dushanbe on Thursday and Sunday (same times), not Wednesday and Sunday.

Also, I tried to buy local route tickets ahead of time. They said they don't sell them until the morning of the train trip. But my Tajikistan-sense says that they would find a spot for a foreign tourist even if the train was full when you show up to buy tickets (which it certain wasn't when I took the train).

[steven]

Did you manage to get the number of the Tajik Rail by any chance?

[Christian77]

From the schedule board inside the station:

227-21-77
227-10-53
933-55-39-96

From Railway.tj

Контактные телефоны:

Отдел организации пассажирских перевозок УППП: (+992 37) 227-10-53;

Справочное бюро: (+992 37) 227-21-77.