New suburban trains planned to launch from Vitebsk and Polotsk to Russia
As stated by Dmitry Krutoy, head of Lukashenka's administration, the possibility of launching routes between Velikiye Luki in Russia's Pskov region and the Belarusian cities of Vitebsk and Polotsk is currently being discussed. The demand for such trips, as noted, is quite high, especially from the Russian border region.
Illustrative photo. Photo: Nasha Niva
However, the decision to launch new routes will not be made immediately. First, the authorities want to assess how in demand the existing railway routes are – for example, between Smolensk and Vitebsk, and also Smolensk and Orsha. This requires at least one full season of observations – until the end of the year or at least until autumn.
Only after analyzing passenger traffic will a decision be made on opening new suburban routes.
For now, cross-border trains in this region exist in a limited format: they run from the Belarusian station Oleshcha to the Russian Novyye Sokolniki and Velikiye Luki only twice a week.
In addition to railway connections, the restoration of air links between Minsk and Pskov is also being discussed. Previously, such a flight was already launched but lasted only a short time – about two months in 2023. Now, the issue of its resumption is planned to be considered at a higher level, as it is difficult for regions to independently finance such projects.
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