Tajik Railways passenger-service department head Safarali Taifurov announced that Uzbekistan has rerouted trains from Tajikistan to Russia to avoid all but one of the Turkmen-Uzbek border crossings that were used by the former route, Asia Plus-Blitz reported on 29 May. The new branch line, from Bukhara through Karakalpakstan, means that Tajik passengers will have to pass through passport and customs control twice instead of the previous seven times. The new route, although longer, will not increase travel time, according to Taifurov, and will permit a reduction in the price of tickets. Last month the head of Tajik Railways complained of attacks on Tajik trains and passengers on the route that repeatedly crossed into Turkmen territory. (RFE/RL)