Minsk Metro Reaches 720,000 Daily Riders Amid Expansion and Modernization

Public transport in the Belarusian capital is experiencing a true renaissance. According to the latest data, the number of passengers using the services of the Minsk Metro daily has reached an impressive figure of 720,000 people. This number prompts reflection on the significance of the underground transport artery for the life of the metropolis and its residents.

The third metro line gave a powerful impetus

Significant growth of passenger traffic occurred after the opening of the new section of the Zelenoluzhskaya line. If at the end of 2024 about 680,000 residents of Minsk and guests of the capital used the metro daily, now this figure has increased by 40,000. The director of UP “Minsk Metro” Alexey Shilov attributes this impressive growth precisely to the expansion of the third line. "The launch of the new section of the third line led to an increase in passenger traffic, including on the other lines," noted the head of the city’s underground at the operational meeting at the Minsk City Executive Committee.

Metro lines: uneven distribution of popularity

It is interesting to track how passenger traffic is distributed among the different lines of the Minsk Metro. According to the results of 2024, the metro transported an impressive 250 million passengers. At the same time, statistics demonstrate clear preferences of Minsk residents:

• The Moskovskaya line remains the undisputed leader, serving 57% of the total volume of transportation
• The Avtozavodskaya line maintains a stable 41% of passenger traffic
• The Zelenoluzhskaya line currently holds a modest 2%, but it has the greatest potential for growth

Transport industry experts predict further redistribution of passenger flows between lines as the new branch expands and residents' travel routes change.

Every third passenger chooses the metro

The Minsk Metro plays a key role in the city's overall transport system. To date, the share of underground transport in the total volume of urban passenger transportation is 36.2%. In other words, more than one third of all public transport trips in Minsk come down to the metro. This figure shows a stable growth trend: in the first quarter of 2025 alone, the share of the metro increased by 0.3%. Specialists associate this dynamic with the reliability, speed and independence of the metro from traffic conditions on the city’s streets.

Ambitious development plans

Metro management does not intend to stop there. According to Alexey Shilov, after extending the third line to the “Bangalore Square” station, a further significant increase in passenger traffic is expected — up to 820,000 people daily. Today, the Minsk Metro has 36 stations:

• 15 stations on the Moskovskaya line
• 14 stations on the Avtozavodskaya line
• 7 stations on the Zelenoluzhskaya line

In the future, the third line will be expanded to 14 stations with a total length of about 16 kilometers. Preparations are already underway for the construction of new stations in the direction of Zeleny Lug: “Profsoyuznaya”, “Perespa”, “Komarovskaya” and “Park Druzhby Narodov”. In addition, according to long-term development plans, construction of the fourth, ring, metro line is expected to begin around 2030, which will include 17 stations.

Rolling stock renewal

To meet growing passenger traffic, the metro is actively modernizing its fleet. In February 2025, a contract was signed for the supply of 20 new cars — four five-car trains. The new trains will be equipped with modern air conditioning systems, USB ports for charging mobile devices, and open gangways between cars, which will significantly increase passenger comfort. At the moment, the inventory fleet of the city’s underground numbers 418 cars. During peak hours, up to 68 trains operate on the lines simultaneously, with another 3 in operational reserve.

The metro as a driver of urban mobility development

Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Vladimir Kuharev ordered a review of the surface urban passenger transport route network in the context of further growth in metro passenger traffic. This indicates an integrated approach to the development of the capital’s transport infrastructure. Urban planning experts note that metro development has a significant impact on the formation of new centers of business and social activity, stimulates housing development in areas adjacent to metro stations. Thus, the Minsk Metro not only fulfills the most important transport function, carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers daily, but also acts as one of the key factors in the sustainable development of the Belarusian capital as a whole.