High-speed railway line Moscow - Minsk could increase tourist flow between Russia and Belarus by ten percent

Russia and Belarus signed a memorandum of cooperation on the construction of high-speed railway line Moscow - Minsk. After the project is completed, travel time between two capitals may be reduced from approximately 7-8 hours to three. The Russian Union of Travel Industry believes that a significant acceleration of rail traffic could significantly increase tourist flow between countries.

According to the published parameters of the project, the length of the HRL will be about 715 km, with trains able to reach speeds up to 400 km/h. The route will pass through Mozhaysk, Vyazma Smolensk, Krasnoe and Orsha. The planned passenger flow is estimated at 5.8 million people per year. However, the construction start date and the launch of traffic have not yet been determined: Russian Railways (RZD) are starting to prepare a preliminary feasibility study.

The Russian Union of Travel Industry notes that reduction of travel time between Moscow and Minsk can increase accessibility to trips to Belarus both for tourists planning full-fledged trips and for those considering short weekend trips or sightseeing tours.

At this stage, the project is in the technical and economic development phase. Russia and Belarus intend to define the basic parameters of the future highway, after which a decision will be made on the transition to practical implementation of the project.

Information source "Russian Union of Travel Industry": https://rst.ru/novosti/novosti-turizm/rst-vsm-moskva-minsk-mozhet-uvelichit-turpotok-mezhdu-rossiej-i-belarusyu-na-desyatki-procentov.html

Use of photo "Russian Union of Travel Industry": https://rst.ru/novosti/novosti-turizm/rst-vsm-moskva-minsk-mozhet-uvelichit-turpotok-mezhdu-rossiej-i-belarusyu-na-desyatki-procentov.html