Lukashenko proposed building high-speed lines to Minsk satellite cities

High-speed railway lines must be constructed to Minsk satellite towns. This was stated by the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, on October 21, while hearing a report on the development of the republican road network and the formation of transport infrastructure ensuring one-hour accessibility to satellite towns, as reported by a BELTA correspondent.

"As we agreed earlier, I would like to discuss today a most important issue that is being raised by us, including the population of Belarus – the condition of roads. And one of the key issues is the resettlement of the population striving to live and work in the hero-city of Minsk," Alexander Lukashenko noted. "I have repeatedly said that the overpopulation of Minsk is not beneficial to those who live in Minsk. Including those who want to move to Minsk."

The Head of State cited the Russian capital as an example. According to official data, about 13.1 million people live in Moscow. However, the actual number of people simultaneously residing in the metropolis is 15 million. "Constant traffic jams, the need for large-scale construction of interchanges, roads, and so on. What is pleasant about living in this reinforced concrete 'clothing', with cars, cars, cars all around?" the President said.

Belarus has taken a different approach by starting to develop so-called satellite towns of Minsk. Currently, these include Dzerzhinsk, Zaslavl, Logoisk, Smolevichi, Fanipol, and the settlement of Rudensk. It is easy to get to the capital from these towns, but it is necessary to consider how to make the journey even faster, the President emphasized. "We need to think about building faster sections, independent of roads. I don't think it will take much time or significant funds (require. – BELTA’s note)," Alexander Lukashenko noted.

He cited Astana as an example, where the construction of an elevated metro began many years ago. It was assumed that the railway lines would be located on reinforced concrete supports. However, the project turned out to be expensive and was therefore suspended. "It is very expensive. Do we have such a need? We can build an elevated metro. We will not dig these trenches underground like moles, but we can emerge on the surface at the outskirts of Minsk and reach Smolevichi, Logoisk, and so on. I don't think it will be a huge expense by today's standards," the Head of State stated.

At the same time, for the residents of satellite cities, the presence of such a transport system will be a significant advantage, the President noted. "We need to create normal not only road, but also rail and other transport links. There are many developments in the world already. Therefore, we must move in this direction, and in the next five-year period, we must resolve the issues of satellite cities, especially those around Minsk. This should be a separate program or sub-program within the "Roads of Belarus" program," Alexander Lukashenko instructed.

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