Belarusian Railway

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Belarusian Railway, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 20 July 2025

Belarusian Railway (BCh) (Belarusian: Беларуская чыгунка / Biełaruskaja čyhunka, Russian: Белорусская железная дорога) serves as the state-owned national rail operator of Belarus, overseeing the entire country's railway infrastructure. Founded in 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it administers a network extending 5,512 km with a track gauge of 1520 mm. The central administrative office and primary terminal is located at Minsk Terminal, the main station in the capital city.

Functioning under the supervision of the ministry of transport, as of 2010 BCh consisted of 84 entities, including 46 enterprises, 38 institutions, and seven manufacturing plants. Its rail system is segmented into six regional divisions: Minsk, Baranovichi, Brest, Gomel, Mogilev, and Vitebsk. By 2005, Belarusian Railway employed more than 112,000 personnel, underscoring its critical contribution to national transport infrastructure and economic activity.

Rolling stock

Electric locomotives

ChS4T; electric locomotive with Co'Co' wheel arrangement
VL80, BCG-1; paired (Bo'Bo')-(Bo'Bo') electric locomotives

Diesel locomotives

M62, TE10, 2TE116, TEP60, TEP70, ChME3; diesel-electric locomotives featuring Co'Co' configuration
TGK2; diesel shunting locomotive with two axles

Passenger multiple units

DR1; diesel multiple unit trainset
ER9, Stadler FLIRT (EP^g, EP^r, EP^m); electric multiple unit trains
DP1, DP3, DP6 Pesa; diesel multiple units operating Minsk-Vilnius routes

International sanctions

In November 2022, Belarusian Railway was subjected to sanctions imposed by Canada, followed by Ukraine in January 2023. Moreover, Vladimir Morozov, the CEO of the company, was blacklisted by Canada and subsequently by the European Union, Switzerland, Ukraine, Australia, and New Zealand. These restrictions have affected the firm's global activities and financial standing.

Gallery

Primary station in Grodno
Stadler FLIRT operating in Minsk
Main station at Brest
Map illustrating the electrification network
Rail network map showing principal branches: Minsk (red), Baranavichy (orange), Brest (purple), Homiel (pink), Mahiliow (light green), Viciebsk (light blue)