How Belarusian-Russian cooperation in the transport industry is developing in practice

The transport industry of Belarus shows growth both in passenger and freight transportation. According to Belstat, for the nine months of 2026, the passenger turnover of transport is 21,904.8 million passenger-kilometers, or 107.6 percent compared to the same period of 2025. 1230.6 million people used passenger transport services. Cargo turnover of transport in January-September 2026 amounted to 55,005 million ton-kilometers, or 102.9 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2025. At the same time, the growth of passenger traffic is ensured by all regions and almost all modes of transport, including rail. According to experts, the demand is increasing in the Russian direction. In particular, the Minsk-Moscow night trains now run with a high population. Hence the need for new cars. How the rolling stock of BZD is updated and how suburban cross-border traffic will develop is in our material.

From the Minsk-Passenger station on October 29, 2026, the branded train No. 2 Minsk-Moscow "Belarus", consisting of new cars, went on the first flight. It consists of modern cars of classes CV, compartment and non-coupe. Technological and convenient for passengers. In compartment cars and CV cars, the lower sofas are easily transformed into seats, there are also individual safes. The needs of different categories of passengers are taken into account. Staff cars are specially equipped for the transportation of people with disabilities and for their accompanying.

- In 2026, Belarusian Railways purchased 30 new passenger cars. They will run in the company train No. 2/1 Minsk - Moscow "Belarus". We continue updating the rolling stock and are working on improving the travel conditions for passengers, the BZD said.

The contract for the supply of 30 passenger cars for the needs of the Belarusian national carrier was concluded in 2025 with the Russian Transmashholding. Cars of this series are produced at the Tver Car Building Plant. Their main innovation - all models, including compartment and non-coupeille, are equipped with a shower room. The current contract of BZD with TMH is far from the first. For 15 years of cooperation with this manufacturer of rolling stock Belarus has received more than 110 passenger cars of various modifications. Minsk Metro also works with the Russian holding. Most of the 400 metro cars that are operated in the capital’s subway are manufactured on the Mytishchinsky Metrovagonmash, which is part of TMH. The plans for this year include the delivery of three more five-car Minsk-2024 trains. The contract for the supply of 15 new Minsk-2024 metro cars was signed between Metrovagonmash and the State Enterprise Minsk Metro on February 25, 2026. The cars were developed by the designers of TMX-Engineering in accordance with the customer’s specification. The design includes the use of components manufactured by Belarusian enterprises: oscillation suppressors, lighting elements of the cabin and driver's cabin, windshield wipers, as well as on-board traffic safety system.

In total, in recent years, TMH has delivered 48 new modern Minsk-2024 cars to the Minsk Metro in a branded blue and white livery. Trains of this model have been operated in the Belarusian capital since 2024.

- Together with the Minsk Metro, we plan to implement a fully automated metro project. A similar system was recently tested in St. Petersburg. The train independently drove into a dead end, respectively, made a turn in automatic mode and returned to the station from which it started. This technology works synchronously with platform doors, which are also installed on the new line in Minsk, said Artem Ledenev, Deputy General Director of TMH.

It should be noted that the relationship with the manufacturer is not reduced to the formula “supplier – recipient”. Many series of equipment are created together with Belarusian enterprises. Over the past five years, the holding has purchased units and components worth more than 6 billion Russian rubles from Belarusian partners.

NEW TRANSPORT ROUTES

On the sidelines of the 56th meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State held in Minsk, the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin proposed to consider the directions Veliky Luki-Vitebsk and Veliky Luki-Polotsk. This topic was returned to Smolensk during a working meeting of the delegations of the Belarusian and Moscow Railways.

- Six months ago, we launched non-stop cross-border commuter trains from Smolensk to Vitebsk and Orsha. The results exceeded all expectations for passenger traffic by almost 3 times. Obviously, the development of this message is required, said Pavel Ivanov, head of the Moscow Railway.

sichevich@sb.by