Tajikistan is ready to resume rail links with Russia right now in compliance with all sanitary requirements, Anvar Latifzoda, a spokesman for Tajik Railways (Tajikistan’s state-run railways company), told Asia-Plus in an interview.
“But, so far, we are not talking about the resumption of rail passenger traffic between Tajikistan and Russia,” said Latifzoda. “We, however, hope that the rail passenger traffic between the two countries will resume soon. As soon as land borders open, we are ready to resume the rail passenger traffic with Te Russian Federation.
According to him, the rail passenger traffic with the Russian Federation was suspended on March 16, last year due to the novel coronavirus crisis.
“Prior to suspension of the rail passenger traffic with Russia, 1,600 conductors worked for Tajik Railways, and after suspension of the rail passenger traffic between Tajikistan and Russia, the majority of them were put on unpaid leave. The same situation is with our other employees,” Latifzoda said.
Currently, only freight trains run between Tajikistan and Russia, the spokesman added.
