Latvia - General Information

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Country Name

Latvia (Latvija)

National Railway System

Latvijas Dzelzceļš (LDz).

National Railway Operator

JSC “Pasažieru vilciens” is the domestic passenger operator.

Language

Latvian.

Currency

Euro

UIC code

numeric 25; alpha LV

Timetable

Journey Planner

Train schedule

Downloadable Timetable

  • Domestic Services:

Basic train timetable and scroll to the bottom of the page for the timetable effective from 15 December 2024

  • International services:

The only international trains are those operated by LTG Link between Vilnius and Riga, which do not appear in the Vivi timetables as they carry only international passengers. See Lithuania for details

Printed Timetable

The Iekšzemes Pasažieru Vilcienu Kustības Saraksts, which is entirely in Latvian.

Engineering Information

None known

Bus Information

Autoosta covers the country. Lux Express operates coach routes in the Baltic region.

Maps

Printed Maps

Web-based Maps

Ticketing

There are no known network tickets, but fares are cheap. Tickets are issued for specific trains or for a timed validity.

International Tickets to Lithuania can be purchased from the LTG-Link website

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

  • LDz Infrastruktūra is responsible for the infrastructure.
  • LatRailNet, a Latvijas dzelzceļš (LDz) subsidiary, was set up on 27th December 2010 to allocate railway capacity and determine infrastructure charges.

Network Statement

The Network Statement page has a downloadable Network Statement for most years.

Gauge

"Russian" gauge (1520 mm) except the Gulbene - Alūksne line (750 mm).

Daugavpils and Riga tram systems are 1524 mm but the Liepāja tramway is metre gauge.

Electrification

3 kV dc with tramways operating at 600 V dc..

The original plan was to electrify the lines to Daugavpils and Rēzekne, which carried heavy freight traffic. However, owing to falling traffic with Russia, this has been cancelled. The focus will now be on converting the network around Rīga to 25 kV 50 Hz to be compatible with Rail Baltica. .

Rule of the road

Most lines are single track, but on double track sections right hand running applies.

Distances

Approximate distances are given to the nearest km in Annex 2.1.B of the Network Statement - TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENT OF LDZ INFRASTRUCTURE

Other Railways

Gulbene - Alūksne Railway Bānītis. An English language PDF page is available here and an equivalent one in German.

Tourist lines

Metro

None. The initial phase of a Riga Metro was planned during the 1980s but has come to be seen as ecologically unsuitable (as well as having the taint of the Soviet era), so now seems unlikely to be developed.

Trams/LRT-Systems

Daugavpils, Rīga, Liepāja.

The UrbanRailNet site has basic diagrams of the tramway systems along with links to the local operators.

Recent and Future Changes

Future Changes

265 km of Rail Baltica is in Latvia and some work on the new line formation towards the border with Lithuania commenced in early 2024. Reconstruction of Rīga Central and a new parallel 1 km long bridge over the river Daugava is already underway. The original plan was for Rīga Central to become a multimodal transport hub, with the existing 1520 mm gauge line rebuilt on an elevated alignment. Early maps showed the standard gauge line splitting some way south of Rīga, with a bypass east of city and a branch to the west via Rīga Airport joining the Tukums - Riga line at Imanta. The official Rail Baltica website map also showed a line from Rīga Central towards Tallinn. However, with cost estimates rapidly escalating, an October 2024 Rail Baltica White Paper stated that the Latvian Government "has proposed a temporary scenario, whereby trains from Estonia would cross the Daugava near Salaspils and diverge onto a chord which would take them to Rīga Airport before entering Rīga Central from the west. They would then reverse and backtrack to Misa before continuing to Lithuania via Lecava. This would extend the journey time from Tallinn to Rīga by about 20 minutes. Rather than building a tunnel through the suburb of Tornakalns, the standard gauge line would be built alongside the existing railway, which would take less time and save money. This proposal is under scrutiny and revision by the partners and still to be confirmed at the Government level. RB Rail and the Latvian Government were continuing to look for ways to connect Rīga, noting the particular importance of serving Rīga Airport as a key traffic generator and aviation hub for the Baltic Region".

In late November 2024 the Latvian Government apparently agreed to proceed with (i) the bypass line, (ii) the new freight terminal near Salaspils on the line to Plavinas and (iii) the line from Rīga Central to the airport. This appears be roughly in agreement with the white paper. They repeated that it is still hoped to complete Rail Baltica through to Tallinn by 2030, but as a single track railway on a double track formation. However a few weeks later at information meetings on the local implications on starting works the Contractors advised they were working to a deadline of 2032...

Recent Changes (latest developments at top)

The cross border with Lithuania service from Vilnius via Šiauliai to Rīga resumed on 27 December 2023.

Latvia cancelled all international services due to Covid travel restrictions with effect from 15 March 2020, some later resumed as listed above.

During the summer of 2018 Ukrainian railways operated a seasonal Rīga - Vilnius - Minsk - Kyiv train via Šiauliai, thus reopening the Jelgava - Šiauliai cross border line to passengers. This train continued running until withdrawn from 15 March 2020 owing to Covid.

The Daugavpils - Turmantas (Lithuania) border crossing reopened to passengers on 4 April 2018 with a service only at weekends and it is assumed it continued until the Covid suspensions on 15 March 2020. It had previously closed at the end of May 2015 when the Vilnius - Sankt Peterburg (Russia) train was withdrawn.

Passenger services on the (Rīga -) Jelgava - Reņge line were withdrawn on 23 February 2010. This followed the Lithuanians lifting the track on their side of the border beyond Renge in 2009 which prevented oil trains from the huge Mažeikiai refinery being exported via Renge to Ventspils. This action was declared illegal by an EU court who fined LG, who then announced in October 2017 that the line would be rebuilt "shortly". It reopened on 15 February 2020..., but the internal Estonian passenger service has not resumed.

From 30 May 2010 the Vilnius - Sankt Peterburg train ran only between Vilnius and Rēzekne-2, where it combined with Rīga - Sankt Peterburg train, thus effecting the closure of Rēzekne-1. It reverted to using Rēzekne-1 on 1 June 2012, running direct between there and Kleperova and ceasing to use Rēzekne-2. However, this service was withdrawn completely at the end of May 2015. The Rīga - Sankt Peterburg train was combined with the Rīga - Moskva train from 25 October 2015, thus diverting it via Zilupe and withdrawing the passenger service between Rēzekne and Kārsava.

From 1 June 2011 a service was reinstated between Rīga and Minsk, reopening to passengers the border crossing at Indra. Between 1 June 2012 and 25 October 2015 it was combined with the Rīga - Sankt Peterburg train as far as Daugavpils, after which the Sankt Peterburg train was combined with the Rīga - Moskva train.

From 1 February 2011 a daily service was reinstated between Plavinas and Madona. This is extended to/from Gulbene on limited dates during the summer and at certain other peak times such as Easter.

In September 2009 LDz announced its decision to dismantle the Liepāja – Ventspils, Saurieši - Ērgli, Ieriķi - Gulbene and Gulbene - Vecumi (Russian border) lines as it was impossible to reopen them owing to the poor condition of the track, some of which had been stolen.

Cross-border passenger services from Valka/Lugaži to Valga (Estonia) were reinstated on 25 April 2008 see above for later closure and re-opening dates.

Outside the Rīga suburban (electrified) area, passenger services saw a serious decline, with service reductions and line closures since independence, mainly because line speeds are relatively slow and therefore uncompetitive with road over trunk routes.

Special notes

Some words which may be of use:

  • elektrovilcieni = electric (suburban) multiple unit trains, operating to the following destinations from Rīga: Skulte; Aizkraukle; Jelgava; Tukums 2 via Dubulti.
  • dīzeļvilcieni = diesel (country) trains (at a fare scale approx. 30% higher than elektrovilcieni); apart from international trains, principally multiple units
  • darba dienās = SSuX
  • [timetable note] * (reading "vilcieni, apzīmēti ar "zvaigznīti", tiks norīkoti pēc īpašas pavēles", or similar) indicates need to enquire for dates of operation
  • kursēs līdz = terminates at
  • atcelts = cancelled
  • no = from or departure
  • gala stacija = terminus or destination
  • nepietur = not stopping (platform departure posters usually assume "all stations" unless otherwise shown)
  • celā = journey duration

See also

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