EBRD supports digital transformation of Uzbekistan Railways

• EBRD loan of up to €38.4 million to support the digitalisation of UTY
• National rail operator to improve efficiency and boost cybersecurity
• Digital transformation will set new industry standards

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is improving the efficiency of rail transportation in Uzbekistan and facilitating more fluid cargo and passenger traffic flows along the Transcaspian Corridor by supporting the digital transformation of O‘zbekiston temir yo‘llari (Uzbekistan Railways, or UTY), the country’s national rail operator.

In its first such public-sector project in Uzbekistan, the Bank will lend up to €38.4 million to UTY – which owns and operates the country’s 6,950 km railway network and is responsible for up to 40 per cent of national freight – to help it introduce software for traffic and transportation management, as well as upgraded cybersecurity systems.

This digital transformation programme will help to set new industry standards, support the safety and reliability of UTY’s operations, and promote cost efficiency. The planned cybersecurity measures will be aligned with international best practice.

The project will help to address inefficiencies in UTY’s traffic and transport management operations by replacing manual processes with modern digital systems such as dispatching, scheduling, and operational control.

To date, the EBRD has invested almost US$ 6.9 billion (€6 billion) in Uzbekistan across 210 projects, with most of the funds supporting private entrepreneurship. The country has been the leading recipient of EBRD funding in Central Asia for each of the past six years.