Originally Posted by
Dans6362
Wikitravel mentions a weekly train between St Petersburg & Samarkand (& vice versa) which is run by Uzbekistan Railways.
Train 383А St Petersburg - Tashkent.
Timetable (Russian only, sorry).
Rates for 3rd Feb. 2012:
2nd class - 12797,80 rub. (photos inside common old train:
one,
two)
3rd class - 7031,20 rub. (
photo inside common old train)
Newer trains looks better, but I don't think Uzbekistan Railways have them...
And travel to some of the south former Soviet Republics by a train cold be extremely extremal
by the reasons described above. My advise: book a flight.