OREANDA-NEWS. March 13, 2012. Further development of this and other joint projects was discussed on the negotiations in Baranovichi between the Head of the Belarusian railway Anatoly Sivak and General director of the Lithuanian railways Stasys Dailydka.

During negotiations the development of cooperation received a high appraisal in the sphere of passenger traffic. As a result of the last year there were transported more than 188 thousand passengers in the communication with Lithuanian Railways that exceeded the level of 2010 by 53%.  Besides the main traffic volume was ensured by two pairs of passenger trains in the connection Minsk –Vilnus, which transported 111.7 thousand passengers.

Belarusian railway and Lithuanian Railways have successfully completed the first step of the joint activity plan in the organization of high-speed passenger connection between Minsk and Vilnus in 2011. In the result of two pairs of passenger trains implementation in the connection Minsk-Vilnus-Minsk the time of the route between two capitals of Belarus and Lithuania decreased from 4 to 3 hours. During negotiations there was decided to continue cooperation according to the plan in the frame work of the second stage, which plans to provide time reduction of the being on the way of passenger trains from 3 hours to 2,5 in 2013. Besides two parties noticed that the further realization of this project would strengthen competitiveness of the rail transit and assist increase of passenger flow. Electrification of the direction Molodecheno-Gudoraj-Gosgranica-Kyana-N.Vilna will promote the realization of this project.

During the negotiations there was mentioned the importance of the carrying out preparatory work in supplying population transportation on border territory in case of entering into force agreement between Belarusian and Lithuanian governments concerning ensuring of passenger transportation on border territory of two countries. It was decided to keep in a new schedule two pairs of passenger trains on the area Lida-Vilnus.

Particular attention was paid to cooperation in the sphere of freight transport including container traffic. As a result of the last year the volume of transported freight in interstate of Belarusian and Lithuanian railway made up 33.5 mln tones, that exceeded the level of 2010 by 10%. It was noted that considerable growth of traffic volume was achieved by the train of combined transport "Viking" that raised at the end of the last year by 30,5% to the level of 2010. For the purpose of further development of container freight parties will continue cooperation in increasing traffic volume by new container train “Saule” and further development of cargo traffic by container train “Merkury.