At least five railway stations in small settlements of the Vitebsk region will be renovated in 2017
"The railway continues to develop, implementing modern technologies. Our task now is to reach speeds of 140 km/h, to transport long trains that can carry a huge amount of tons of cargo and passengers. We are building new stations and terminals. In 2017, at least five stations in small settlements with a population of no more than 10-15 thousand people will be reconstructed and renovated. We are still determining the specific sites – there are several options, including in the Vitebsk and Miory districts. We will create the necessary sanitary and household conditions for both passengers and employees of these stations. Not only the buildings themselves, waiting rooms, ticket offices, but also platforms will be updated. There will also be an opportunity to purchase an electronic ticket – modern information technologies are available not only to city residents," emphasized Sergey Lyadenko.
A festive event dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the track, locomotive, and station facilities of the Polotsk and Vitebsk railway junctions took place today on Privokzalnaya Square in Vitebsk. In particular, movement on the Vitebsk line began on October 17, 1866. Veterans of the enterprise were honored in honor of this date at a festive rally with songs, dances, and fireworks, as well as the presentation of commemorative booklets stylized in the old manner about the history of the railway in the northern region of Belarus.
"To transport goods from the depths of the Russian Empire to the Baltic ports, new approaches were needed, as the transport available at that time could not cope with this task. Therefore, with the support of the government, enterprising and initiative people built the railway. Since then, it has changed a lot, transforming not only itself but also the surrounding cities and towns. Thanks to it, new settlements have grown."
The railway workers' collective 150 years ago from Vitebsk to Polotsk numbered no more than 100 people. Now there are over 9,000 of them at our two hubs. Trains then ran at a speed of no more than 20 versts per hour. Now the speeds are completely different: 100 km/h is normal practice," concluded Sergey Lyadenko.
Ekaterina Knyazeva - BELTA.