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High-speed railway to deliver passengers from Minsk to airport within 30 minutes
MINSK DISTRICT, 21 August (BelTA) – A high-speed passenger rail service will make it possible to travel from Minsk to Minsk National Airport within 30 minutes, BelTA learned from Konstantin Boyar, First Deputy Head of the Passenger Service Division at Belarusian Railways.
The service is planned to run along the route Minsk – Gorodishche – the China-Belarus industrial park Great Stone – Minsk National Airport. The total length of the section is 41km, of which 31km will be new track. The first phase of the construction project is currently underway. The project is being implemented in accordance with the state program Transport of Belarus for 2026-2030.
Konstantin Boyar noted that the project is significant for Minsk and for the country as a whole, and an increase in passenger traffic is expected. “We plan to run about 20 round-trip trains per day between Minsk and the airport. The project is designed for high-speed travel. The estimated travel time is 30 minutes. New rolling stock with improved user comfort and performance will operate on this route,” he said.
The first deputy head of the Passenger Service Division at Belarusian Railways also spoke about the planned stops. “A stop is planned at Great Stone because we need to ensure transportation links not only to the airport but also to logistics hubs,” he noted.
How will the construction process affect train traffic in the Minsk-Orsha section? Konstantin Boyar emphasized that train service will not be suspended, but there will be changes, as technical breaks are scheduled to allow for work on the track. “This is a heavy traffic section. About 50 pairs of trains of various categories (including freight and international trains) travel here daily on the average. Certainly, the scope of the work currently underway will lead to certain changes in the train schedule. Four phases of work are planned by the end of the year, during which the train schedule and frequency will be adjusted in some way. However, given Minsk’s importance to the surrounding regions and the need to transport workers, the changes will not be extensive. “All information concerning changes to train schedules will be posted in advance — at least 10 days in advance — on the official website of Belarusian Railways and in mass media,” he noted.
Valery Navrotsky, Head of the Capital Construction Organization and Planning Service at Belarusian Railways, provided further details on the progress of construction. “Implementation of the first phase of this project began in September 2025. The client is Belarusian Railways, and the general contractor is Dorstroymontazhtrest.” The first phase involves the construction of 16km of the third main track in the Stepyanka-Gorodishche section, the reconstruction of existing infrastructure and the motorway network within the project’s construction zone, and the construction of the new Sadovyi stop. Work is currently underway along the entire length of this section. However, the main construction and installation work is currently concentrated in the Kolodishchi-Gorodishche section. “To ensure the safety of passengers and freight transport operational windows in train service have been scheduled for the duration of construction,” he noted.
The general contractor has prepared the infrastructure for work during these construction windows and is about to start a new phase: work on the existing infrastructure to integrate the newly laid track and turnouts, incorporate these turnouts into the existing railway automation system, and connect the track to the catenary system.
“The third track is being laid to increase capacity, reorganize train traffic in this section, and improve passenger comfort so that trains can travel at higher speeds,” explained Valery Navrotsky.
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