Passenger trains between Minsk and Riga to launch in 2011

Passenger trains between Belarus and Laltvia may be put into service in 2011, according to proposals voiced by Belarus Railways officials on their visit to the neighboring country on January 19-20. Aliaksandr Serhienka, the head of external relations at the Belarus Railways, told the European Radio for Belarus the talks are about a Minsk-Riga direct train. Passenger trains between Latvia and Belarus stopped running in 2007 due to low profitability.

“It was very expensive and loss-making", Latvian Railways spokeswoman Regina Svirska told the European Radio for Belarus.

But cargo transport between the two country is very efficient. That's why another railway was built at the Bigosava-Indra border post in late 2009. It will be put into service from May 2010.