Cross-border commuter trains have begun operating between Belarus and Russia
Thursday, 02 April 2026
On the 30th anniversary of the unity of the peoples of Belarus and Russia, suburban passenger trains were launched on Smolensk-Orsha and Smolensk-Vitebsk routes.
The launch of the first route from Smolensk took place at the MTLF site via a teleconference with the participation of the Minister of Transport and Communications of Belarus, Aleksei Lyakhnovich, and the head of Belarusian Railway, Valeriy Verenich.
◽️ Russian side was represented at the ceremony by Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev, Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin, and Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov.
By eliminating transfers, commuter train passengers save between 1.5 and 3 hours of travel time. Importantly, benefits are synchronized—free or discounted travel remains available for citizens of both countries.
The rolling stock deployed on the new routes meets modern comfort and safety standards. Passenger transportation on Orsha-Smolensk route will be provided by Russian-made EP3D series electric trains, while Vitebsk-Smolensk route will be served by RA-3 series diesel trains.
The decision to organize cross-border suburban passenger transportation by rail between the adjacent border territories of Russia and Belarus was made by the Council of Ministers of the Union State in order to improve the quality of passenger service and enhance transport accessibility of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the regions of the Republic of Belarus.
