Border Crossings: Lithuania - Poland
Note that there is a one hour time difference between Lithuania and Poland
(Šeštokai -) Mockava LG - Trakiszki PKP (- Suwałki)
[D] The "Rail Baltica" standard gauge [1435 mm] track crosses the border, interlaced with Broad gauge track [1520 mm] from Mockava [LG] to just south of Šeštokai. It continues in Lithuania parallel to the broad gauge as far as Kaunas station, beyond which it is partly interlaced with the broad gauge to an Intermodal terminal at Palemonas, opened in October 2020. A limited weekend standard gauge passenger service between Białystok and Kaunas commenced on 17 June 2016 operated by PKP diesel units. Despite various periods of suspension due to Covid-19, there are plans for a through ticketed Warsaw - Vilnius service with a change of trains in Kaunas and daily Białystok - Kaunas services.
Note the former interchange island platform on the east side at Šeštokai (one platform face for each gauge) had been demolished by June 2016. The through 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had previously worked a daytime TLK service from Warszawa to the then limit of standard gauge track at Šeštokai until withdrawn on 15 December 2013.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 and changed gauge at Mockava. This GC is believed to have been removed with all transhipment of freight dealt with at Šeštokai.
In March 2019 Rail Baltica announced that, when the line is completed [estimated 2026] 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.
