Hyundai Rotem Sends First Batch of Export High-Speed Trains to Uzbekistan

Hyundai Rotem Co., a railway and defense subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group, this month shipped its first batch of high-speed trains to Uzbekistan, after completing production ahead of schedule, the company said.

The delivery ceremony was held in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, attended by officials from both countries, including Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev, and Hyundai Rotem executives.

The delivery consists of six high-speed trains, with a total of 42 carriages, which are adapted to the conditions of the Uzbek railway and desert climate. The trains are based on the company's EMU-260 model, which has been operating commercially since 2021.

Later, the trains will operate on long-distance routes stretching about 1,286 km in Uzbekistan.

"The fact that we are delivering these trains early shows the strength of Korea's accumulated high-speed train technology," Kim Jeong-hoon, head of Hyundai Rotem's Railway Solutions Division, said during the ceremony, according to the company, as reported by Kyodo News on December 20.

Hyundai Rotem won the contract in June 2024 from Uzbekistan Railways Corp., which marked South Korea's first overseas export deal for a domestically developed high-speed train.

Hyundai Rotem said it plans to use the Uzbekistan project as a foundation to expand high-speed train exports in the future.

"We will ensure smooth delivery and maintenance support for all train sets," a company official said.

"Together with our domestic partners, we will continue to promote the advantages of K high-speed trains around the world," he concluded.