Theme: Samarkand Plan: Etymology History Geography People

Transport
Public transport is developed in Samarkand. Municipal bus (mostly SamAuto and Isuzu buses) is the most common and popular transport in the city. Also in the city since 2017 there are several Samarkandian tram lines (tram existed in Samarkand also in 1947-1973), mostly Vario LF.S Czech trams. Also, the city very much a city taxi (mostly Chevrolet and Daewoo sedans), which is usually yellow in color. Also in the city a lot of taxis, which are usually yellow. Also in the city run the so-called "Marshrutka", which are minibuses Daewoo Damas and GAZelle.

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Many yellow taxis on the streets of Samarkand

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Taxi and tram on Rudaki Street in Samarkand

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Tram in Samarkand

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Beruni and Rudaki Streets in Samarkand

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Taxi and bus on Mirzo Ulughbek Avenue in Samarkand
In Soviet times, up until 2005, in Samarkand plied also to the trolleybus. In Soviet times, as well as today, municipal buses and taxis (GAZ-21, GAZ-24, GAZ-3102, VAZ-2101, VAZ-2106 and VAZ-2107) operated in Samarkand. Tram existed in Samarkand also in 1947-1973, and in 1924-1930 there was a steam tram in Samarkand. Until 1950, the main transport in Samarkand were the carriages and "arabas" with horses and donkeys.

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  "Araba" and donkey in Samarkand in 1890
  
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  Samarkand railway station in 1890
  
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"Araba" in Samarkand in 1964

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"Araba" in Samarkand in 1964
In the North of Samarkand is the Samarkand International Airport, which was opened in Soviet times, in the 1930s. As of spring 2019, Samarkand International Airport has flights to Tashkent, Nukus, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Istanbul and Dushanbe, and also makes Charter flights to other cities.
Today Samarkand is an important railway center of Uzbekistan. All trains running from East to West of Uzbekistan and back pass through Samarkand. The most important and longest national railway route is Tashkent-Kungrad, which passes through Samarkand. High-speed Afrasiyab (Talgo 250) trains run between Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. Samarkand also has an international railway connection Saratov-Samarkand, Moscow-Samarkand, Nur-Sultan-Samarkand.

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Samarkand railway station

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Afrasiyab (Talgo 250) high-speed train in Samarkand railway station

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  In Samarkand railway station
  
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Afrasiyab (Talgo 250) high-speed train
Railway transport reached Samarkand in 1888 as a result of the construction of the Trans-Caspian railway in 1880-1891 by the railway troops of the Russian Empire on the territory of modern Turkmenistan and the Central part of modern Uzbekistan. This railway started from Krasnovodsk (now Turkmenbashi) on the Caspian Sea coast and ended at the station of Samarkand. It was Samarkand station that was the final station of the Trans-Caspian railway. The first station of Samarkand station was opened in May 1888.
Later, due to the construction of the railway in other parts of Central Asia, the station was connected to the Eastern part of the railway of Central Asia and later this railway was called Central Asian Railways. In the Soviet years in Samarkand was annexed, no new line but at the same time, it was one of the largest and most important stations of the Uzbekistan SSR and Soviet Central Asia.