Bishkek-Tashkent train: reports and Q&A

[Milad]

UTI has announced officially that the train will run again this year: http://railway.uz/ru/informatsionnaya_s ... id=1677944

I have yet to find a schedule. In the same PM, they announced huge discounts of up to 55% if you book well ahead (40-45 days before) on all international tickets. Also, there will be a seasonal train Samarkand - Tashkent - Astana.

[SHappe]

Hello,
Has anyone found a schedule for this yet? We're hoping to catch it in about a fortnight, but I can't work out if it is actually going.

Thanks!!

[Milad]

I have found no information. I don't think it's going to run before May or maybe June this year.

[SHappe]

Ok, great. Thanks
I'm heading to the Tashkent station today to try and work out whether it works in May. I'll report back if you're correct

[SHappe]

Update: apparently there isn't one now. I'm not sure if it was a language barrier, and if they run later, but the lady (and then a curious manager) said there aren't any. I asked if there was one in May (and pointed to the month on the calendar), and they said 'none this year.' So, I don't know.

We ended up catching the bus.

[insectarian]

Was the bus direct (from Tashkent) to Bishkek? What time/place it goes from Tashkent - is there any online schedule available?

We will need to travel Taskent-Biskek on 29.04.2019
(I'll post later how we ended up and how long it took)

[SHappe]

It was.
It leaves from the bus station in Tashkent at 18h every day. I went to the bus station three days before and bought a ticket, it cost 120,000 sum each. The bus was completely packed when we caught it - buying the ticket beforehand is essential.

The bus itself goes through Kazakhstan (up to Shymkent then along through to Chaldovar where it crosses into Kyrgyzstan).
The lady selling tickets said it would take 13hours, however we did not arrive in Bishkek until around 9h20 - so it took 15h 20.

[Chasing the Cardozas]

Hello!

The 2019 Bishkek to Tashkent train schedule is as follows:

Beginning 08 June until 28 September the train will run every Saturday. The train leaves at 09:30 and takes approximately 20 hours. This is the only train.

Tickets bought (in Bishkek II) at least one month in advance cost:

Plus Kart: 2000 KGS
Coupe: 2500 KGS

Prices will go up closer to the day of your departure. You should arrive at the vokzal at least two hours before your departure.

This is all according to the information desk at Bishkek II.

[Milad]

cross-posting information from annother thread as this is the main one for Bishkek-Tashkent:

The schedule is as following, minor and border stops not included (as in the official railway schedule, meaning local time in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Moscow time in Kyrgyzstan, for local time there add 3 hrs):

455Ч TASHKENT-RYBACHE
Tashkent C dep. 20:50 Thursday
Chimkent arr. 06:12/dep. 06:27 Friday
Lugovaia arr. 13:13/dep. 13:43 Friday
Bishkek 2 arr. 16:03/dep. 16:53 Friday
Rybache (Balykchy) arr. 20:09 Friday

455Щ RYBACHE - TASHKENT
Rybache (Balykchy) dep. 01:59 Saturday
Bishkek 2 arr. 05:53/dep. 06:30 Saturday
Lugovaia arr. 15:04/dep. 15:43 Saturday
Chimkent arr. 21:50/dep. 22:08 Saturday
Tashkent C arr. 05:00 Sunday

Prices for Tashkent - Bishkek according to the international system Express-3, may or may not be a bit cheaper but certainly not more expensive bought in UZ or KG (add a few €/$ for Balykchy):
Platskart (3rd class): 31,9 CHF/USD
Kupe (2nd class): 42 CHF/USD
Lyuks (1st class): 74,9 CHF/USD
Note that the tariff currency is CHF which means that the prices are set in Swiss Francs (the current exchange rate CHF/USD is nearly 1:1) and converted in local currency in the moment of purchase.

Note that there is absolutely no need to arrive 2 hours in advance at the station if you bought the ticket in advance.
The train will leave Tashkent for the first time this year on June 6th, Bishkek on June 8th. You can check all data and prices with the booking system of Belarussian Railways poezd.rw.by as their booking engine can access all trains in FSU countries (except Turkmenistan). You can also check how many free places are left there. Prices will be given in Belarusian Rubles. Please don't book there though as you'd need to exchange the print-out for a paper ticket physically in Belarus(!).

[brucewallace22]

Hello! Does anyone know if it's possible to book tickets for the Bishkek-Tashkent train in advance online? We're thinking about making that trip in late August.