OREANDA-NEWS Russia and Belarus plan to expand commuter rail services between the two countries, Russian Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin has said.
The first electric trains from Smolensk to Orsha and Vitebsk were launched in April 2026. The Ministry of Transport informed RIA Novosti that direct suburban services are also planned on the routes Velikiye Luki-Polotsk, Velikiye Luki-Vitebsk and Bryansk-Gomel.

Electric trains between Russia and Belarus on new routes are planned to be launched in 2027, Alexander Sakharov, head of Roszheldor, said at a meeting with Mikhail Mishustin, head of the Russian government, this summer.

"Today we see a multiple increase in traffic. Very positive results at the end of the summer. All forecasts did not come true, they were all exceeded by several times in terms of passenger traffic. And by the end of the year, taking into account the autumn-winter season, my colleagues and I will make decisions on the further development of traffic," Nikitin said about electric trains between Russia and Belarus.

According to him, depending on the route, passenger traffic in suburban traffic between the countries exceeded forecasts by three to five times.