The dam through which the Samarkand–Urgut railway passes has collapsed.

"Uzbekistan Railways" has issued an official statement regarding the damage sustained by the Samarkand–Urgut railway section in the Samarkand region, reporting that the incident was caused by a sharp increase in the water flow of the Zarafshan River.

 

According to the company, on July 3, a certain section of the Samarkand–Urgut railway passing through the Toyloq district of the Samarkand region was damaged.

 

It is noted that heavy rainfall observed in recent days in the mountainous areas of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan led to a sharp increase in the water flow of the Zarafshan River. As a result, the river eroded its banks, and in some places, the riverbed changed direction.

 

According to official data, the incident was caused by an increase in the river's water discharge from the standard 80–100 cubic meters per second to 300 cubic meters per second. Consequently, the riverbed widened by 30–40 meters in areas near the railway, causing damage to certain sections of the track.

 

It is emphasized that such a hydrological situation has not been observed in the last 20 years. Currently, to ensure traffic safety, work is underway to reinforce the riverbanks with boulders. Fifteen pieces of special equipment have been deployed, and boulders have been delivered via 30 dump trucks. Additionally, another 130 dump trucks loaded with necessary construction materials have been dispatched to the incident site.

 

"Uzbekistan Railways" stated that all necessary measures are being taken to fully restore railway traffic in the shortest possible time and ensure the continuity of train operations.

 

For reference, this section is part of the new Samarkand–Urgut railway network, which was commissioned in November 2025. As part of the project, a 55.4-kilometer-long new railway was built between Samarkand and Urgut, along with two stations, two stopping points, two bridges, and over 100 artificial structures.