After a two-year suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, rail traffic has resumed between Tajikistan and the Russian Federation. 

The first train with 600 passengers on board departed from the Tajik southern city of Kulob to the Russian city of Volgograd on August 15.  A ticket to a couchette carriage costs on this route 1,400 somonis.

Besides, two other routes – Dushanbe-Volgograd and Khujand-Volgograd -- are expected to be launched in the near future. 

The Dushanbe-Volgograd route is expected to be launched on August 27 and the Khujand-Volgograd route is expected to be launched on September 7. 

All three of these routes are once-weekly services.  The Kulob-Volgograd train will depart from Kulob on Tuesdays and arrive in Volgograd on Fridays, the Dushanbe—Volgograd train will depart from Dushanbe on Saturdays and arrive in Volgograd on Tuesdays, and the Khujand-Volgograd train will depart from Khujand on Wednesdays and arrive in Volgograd o Saturdays.    

It is to be noted that in the previous years, train communication between Tajikistan and Russian had been halted several times because the Tajik rolling stock had not met Russian technical and sanitary requirements, stranding many Tajiks who had traveled to Russia seeking seasonal employment.