Lithuania - Older General Information

Introduction

This document acts as an archive for Recent and Future Changes prior to December 2020.

Changes in 2018

Passenger services were reinstated between (Vilnius -) Oro Uostas (Vilnius airport) and Jašiūnai on 9 Dec 2018. Services beyond Jašiūnai to Stasylos via Oro Uostas and the alternative route via the Vaidotal freight yards had previously been withdrawn on 1 January 2015.

Klaipēda - Šilutė was reopened to passenger traffic on 1 October 2018, having been discontinued from 29 May 2011

Changes in 2017

Electrification across the border from Kena into Belarus was completed in Autumn 2017 and a through electric passenger service commenced on 10 December 2017, later withdrawn due to Belarus links with Russia.

The Vilnius - Marcinkonys service was cut back to Varėna at an unknown date between December 2015 and November 2016 but had reopened by Mid March 2017.

Changes in 2016

After some false starts, passenger services were introduced over the standard gauge (1435 mm) Rail Baltica line between Šeštokai and Kaunas on 17 June 2016. These comprised Białystok – Kaunas trains operated by Polish diesel units: two trains each way on Saturdays and Sundays, with a northbound train on Fridays and a southbound train on Mondays. The separate 1435 mm gauge track runs alongside the existing broad gauge route between Šeštokai and Kaunas, in contrast to the original plans for a partly new route. An unexpected consequence was that no LG passenger service resumed south of Marijampole to Šeštokai, so the last broad gauge passenger trains ran on this section on 28 September 2013. At Šeštokai there is now only a platform on one of the new standard gauge tracks, relocated from their previous location, and it took until 6 October 2017 before this SG service started to call there.

Changes in 2015

Passenger services over the border crossing between Stasylos and Benjakonī (Belarus) were reintroduced on 6 June 2015, with one train each way between Grodno/Гродна and Vilnius at weekends only, but this withdrawn after 8 November the same year. On 3 August 2011 services to Stasylos had been extended 4.2 km southwards to a new station 1.3 km north of the former Šalčininkai halt and 5.5 km from the Belarus border on the line to Ліда/Lida. This new station took the name Stasylos, the old station being renamed Senosios Stasylos. Services between Stasylos and Benjakonī (Belarus) had ceased on 19 September 2008 when the summer-only Vilnius - Simferopol’ train pair ended.

Palemonas via Gaižiūnai to/from Jonava has lost and regained its single train pair more than once, sometimes only running at weekends. As at November 2024 a daily service is still running.

Changes in 2001 and earlier

Through Vilnius - Druskininkai LG trains and the Vilnius - Warszawa overnight service via Parėččė (Belarus) ceased in 2001, resulting in withdrawal of all trains south of Marcinkonys.

Regular services over the Panevėžys - Anykščiai narrow gauge line ceased from 25 March 2001. It remains in use as a heritage railway but travelling the complete line can be difficult.

Since late 1998 the following lines have lost their passenger service:

• Jonaitiškai – Kutiškiai
• [Šiauliai -] Mankiškai - Jonaitiškai - Tauragė - Pagėgiai - Šilutė - Klaipēda (Klaipēda - Šilutė subsequently reopened closed and re-opened again)
• Švenčionėliai - Utena
• Šeštokai - Alytus
• [Klaipēda -] Kretinga - Skuodas
• [Vilnius -] Paneriai - Valičiūniai (part subsequently reopened)