Belarus: A number of local media have made public the information about the upcoming agreement. The news was announced by Aleksandr Horoshevich, Belarusian Railway’s First Deputy Head, on the sidelines of the PRO//Motion.Expo exhibition. According to the official, “just this week” they would sign a contract for 65 trains to be manufactured at the Stadler plant in Fanipol, Belarus.
However, Stadler’s representative has given a comment to Office Life, another local news media, saying that the parties did not reach a deal. The Swiss manufacturer notes that the order has been indeed negotiated with Belarusian Railway, but Stadler is not ready to resume either rolling stock deliveries to Belarus or production of trains in the country under sanctions.
Back in 2022, Stadler ceased rolling stock manufacturing at its Belarusian plant. Still, the site is currently able to provide mechanical operations with components. In addition, the Swiss company has previously announced its intention to keep the plant in Belarus and recommence production once sanctions are lifted.
Meanwhile, it was announced in 2024 that the Fanipol plant could become a site for SKD assembly of multiple units from Russia, where there are two large producers of railway MUs, namely TMH and Sinara–Transport Machines. In response, Stadler pointed out that it had no indication that Belarus was going to change the ownership structure of the Swiss manufacturer’s plant in Fanipol. It is also worth mentioning that, in January 2025, Stadler Rus certified its railway components for the first time in several years.
In 2023, it was reported that Belarusian Railway would need over 90 diesel trains and 53 EMUs. The Belarusian state operator’s current fleet of multiple units comprises 196 trains, including 81 EMUs and 115 diesel trains. As for Stadler, it supplied Belarus with 28 EMUs between 2010 and 2022.
