Border Crossings: Lithuania - Poland

Note that there is a one hour time difference between Lithuania and Poland

(Šeštokai -) Mockava LG - Trakiszki PKP (- Suwałki)

[D] A standard gauge [1435 mm] track crosses the border, but from Mockava [LG] it is interlaced with Broad gauge track [1520 mm] to just south of Šeštokai. The standard gauge track initially continued in Lithuania parallel to the broad gauge as far as Kaunas station, extended partly interlaced with the broad gauge from October 2020 to an Intermodal freight terminal at Palemonas.

From 11 December 2022 PKP IC pair "Hańcza" were extended daily from Suwałki cross border to Mockava for a guaranteed interchange with a Lithuanian DMU service to/from Vilnius with through ticketing. This saw re-opening of the BG passenger tracks from Kazlu Ruda via Šeštokai that had ended in September 2013. Plans for a through SG Warsaw - Kaunas service before the Lithuanian sections of Rail Baltica tracks beyond Kaunas are completed have been abandoned as LG could not provide standard gauge diesels, plus PKP PLK were quoted in a Railway Press Article that "the existing 1435 mm on the Mockava – Kaunas section is not equipped with a rail traffic control system, so with freight traffic operating at the same time, [it] does not see the possibility of running regular passenger trains"... However PKP IC have announced that from the December 2025 timetable change there will be a second IC pair to/from Mockava and Szczecin via Warszawa, plus a local pair to/from Suwałki, all with guaranteed LG connections.

When the "Hańcza" was extended to Mockava, the limited through "weekend" Białystok - Kaunas on the SG track operated by PKP DMU's was withdrawn. This had resumed after pandemic suspension on 1 July 2022 with one pair FSO northbound, SSuO southbound after commencing on 17 June 2016. Note the former interchange island platform on the east side at Šeštokai (one platform face for each gauge) had been demolished by June 2016 so the through SG Kaunas trains were only able to call at Šeštokai from 6 October 2017 after a platform had been completed on new through standard gauge tracks on the west side of the station.

PKP had previously worked a daytime TLK pair from Warszawa to the then limit of standard gauge track at Šeštokai until withdrawn on 15 December 2013. From 29 October 2000 to 28 May 2005 there was a through overnight passenger train between Warszawa and Vilnius, which used 25AN/S bogied coaches equipped with 'SUW2000' variable gauge wheelsets changing gauge at Mockava. This GC is believed to have been removed with all transhipment of freight now dealt with at Šeštokai.

In March 2019 Rail Baltica announced that, when the line is completed [estimated 2030] they plan to run six daytime trains between Warszawa and either Tallinn or Vilnius, plus overnight Tallinn – Riga – Kaunas – Warszawa – Berlin and Vilnius – Kaunas – Warszawa – Berlin trains.

See also

• Border Crossings - General Information