Minsk Metro
The Minsk Metro is a rapid transit system that serves Minsk, the capital of Belarus. The construction of the metro in Minsk began in 1977. Opened 29 June 1984, it presently consists of 3 lines and 36 stations, totaling. In 2013, the system carried 328.3 million passengers, which averages to a daily ridership of approximately 899,450. In 2023, the system carried 233.9 million passengers, which averages to a daily ridership of approximately 640,800. The Minsk metro was the ninth metro system built in the USSR.
History
During the 1950s–1970s the population of the city grew to over a million and designs for a rapid transit system were initially proposed during the late 1960s. Construction began on 3 May 1977, and the system was opened to the public on 30 June 1984, becoming the ninth metro system in the Soviet Union. The original eight station section has since expanded into a three-line 36 station network with a total of of route.Despite the dissolution of the Soviet Union the construction of the Minsk metro continued uninterrupted throughout the 1990s. Some experts attribute it to the slow reform of the Soviet planned economy in Belarus, which turned out to be beneficial for metro expansion. For example, the final phase of the Aŭtazavodskaja Line, originally planned for 2006, was opened in late 2005, and similarly the northern extension of the Maskoŭskaja Line, originally scheduled for 2008, opened on 7 November 2007. In November 2012, three new stations opened on the southern end of the Maskoŭskaja line and in June 2014 the line was expanded in the south part with 1 more new station.
Construction of the 1st phase of the new Line 3 started in 2014 which consisted of 4 new stations running from Yubileynaya ploshcha to Kavalskaya Slabada station. The 1st phase opened on 6 November 2020. The 2nd phase started construction in 2018 and opened on 30 December 2024 which contains the extension from Kavaĺskaja Slabada to Slutski Hastsinets stations with 1 depot being built in the new south terminal station of the line.
In 2016, the Minsk Metro placed an order with Stadler Rail for 10 units containing six four-car and four five-car trainsets that will replace older rolling stock. These Stadler M110/M111 trains entered service in February 2020.
Timeline
Operational characteristics
The city is located on an almost level surface and on very dry soil. As a result, although all of the Minsk Metro stations are under the surface, there are no deep-level stations that are found in most of the ex-Soviet cities. Out of the current 36 stations 25 are pillar-spans and 11 are of vaulted type. Like most of the Soviet metro systems, all of the stations are vividly decorated. Some exhibit Belarusian national motifs, while others focus on more Soviet socialist themes, although recent years have seen more priority on high-tech decorations.Signs and announcements in the metro system are in Belarusian and English.
Expansion plans
Construction of a third line, the Zyelyenaluzhskaya line, began in 2014. When fully completed, this line will run from the south to the northeast of the city via the centre, creating two new transfer points with the existing lines.The first stage of the line was opened on 7 November 2020 running from Jubiliejnaja Plošča to Kavaĺskaja S labada station. This follows a northern contour parallel to Maskowskaya which has since relieved the extensive congestion in the city area with 2 interchange stations at Vakzaĺnaja and Jubiliejnaja Plošča station.
As of 2025, the Zyelyenaluzhskaya line consists of seven stations and is planned to be extended north to the residential area of Zyalyony Luh.
The planned fourth line is expected to connect south and north parts of the city which are densely populated. This line is planned to have a length of 37 kilometres with 1 new depot serving the line and 17 new stations of which 6 stations are going to be interchange stations. Specifically, Line 4 will interchange at Michalova and Akademija navuk stations of Line 1, Traktarny zavod and Puškinskaja stations of Line 2 and future Plošča Banhalor and Aerodromnaja stations of Line 3.
Two extensions of Line 1 and two of Line 2 with 2 new stations for Line 1 and 2 respectively were mentioned but never went into additional consideration as the construction of Line 3 and the plans for Line 4 keep their priority low. These expansions were specifically mentioned as:
Line 1:
Malinaŭka – Ščomyslica and
Uručča – Smalienskaja
Line 2:
Kamiennaja Horka – Krasny Bor and
Mahilioŭskaja – Šabany