Could someone tell me what the difference is between 1st and 2nd class carriages on the Sharq train?
I found the seating layout scheme, that part is clear. But what else is different?
Is it okay to take 2nd class (2B)?
Traveling Samarkand–Bukhara.
This is what the cheaper Sharq carriage looks like — everything was comfortable) We were traveling in the opposite direction from you, from Bukhara to Samarkand, and the carriage was almost empty. The second ride, Samarkand–Tashkent, had more people already. They even offer tea for free) (last year)
The new high-speed Jaloliddin Manguberdi train.
Samarkand–Khiva — 5 hours travel time and 518,000 soum. I bought the tickets 3 days before departure in the Uzbek Railways app. They don’t scan tickets or check documents (basically encouraging ticket resellers 🤬). Inside it’s cold, wear pants and a sweater, or better yet closed shoes too, there’s a strong draft from the floor as well.
A sandwich with a muffin and tea/coffee are included in the ticket.
The regular trains are perfectly fine, so don't imagine they're uncomfortable.
The real difference between them is speed.
On Afrosiyob we had breakfast in Tashkent and were walking around Registan before lunchtime. That completely changed how we planned our itinerary because we didn't lose an entire day moving between cities. Other than that and some price difference (that I wouldn't say is that much) it makes no big difference.
We actually travelled on both.
We booked Afrosiyob where it fit our schedule, but one of the routes was sold out so we took a regular train instead.
Honestly, it wasn't a problem at all. The journey was comfortable, people were friendly and we enjoyed watching the countryside. If you're travelling on a tighter budget, I wouldn't worry about using the regular services.