A luxury tourist train is to connect Tashkent with the historical cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva in Uzbekistan by the end of 2026.

The project is outlined in a memorandum that was signed by Uzbekistan Railways, Italian luxury hospitality provider Arsenale and the Uzbekistan State Committee for Tourism in Samarkand on October 17.

The agreement was inked during an investment forum held on the sidelines of the 25th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly.

Bne IntelliNews in conversations with local tourism officials at the UNWTO was told that Uzbekistan has invested significantly in tourism infrastructure in recent years to secure perceived growth potential amid the economic opening up of the country under the Mirziyoyev administration.

"Tourism has become a key area of investment in terms of moving people around the country in an eco-friendly way," said one conference attendee.

Arsenale will take care of the design and construction of the luxury class train, which will operate along the Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara-Khiva route.

High-speed trains of the type that will be seen in Uzbekistan are already in service in several European countries, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In August, Uzbekistan Railways also considered a proposal from Arsenale on the proposed launch of a high-speed tourist train service stretching from Europe to China through Russia.

In 2017, Uzbekistan upgraded its Soviet-era rolling stock with new high-speed Spanish trains connecting Tashkent to Samarkand as part of the initial round of upgrades planned for the railways.