Latvia - General Information
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
Downloadable Timetable
- Domestic Services:
Train departure schedule from Riga station
Train arrival schedule at Riga station
- International services:
There are no international trains at present.
Printed Timetable
The Iekšzemes Pasažieru Vilcienu Kustības Saraksts, which is entirely in Latvian.
Engineering Information
Bus Information
Autoosta covers the country. However the website appears to be blocking access from the UK.
Lux Express operates coach routes in the Baltic region.
Maps
Printed Maps
- European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball.
- European Railway Atlas (Regional Series - Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine) by M.G. Ball.
- Mapa Kolejowa Litwy, Łotwy i Estonii (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) by W. Kolondra.
- Railway Map of Latvia, Lithuania and Russia (Kaliningrad Region) by Quail Map Company.
Web-based Maps
- Map of the Baltic States dated July 2023 - on the Railroad Maps site.
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
- High Seas Fisheries Museum, Ventspils (600mm)
- Mežaparks Pioneer Railway, Rīga (750mm) remains in situ but abandoned [locos transferred to Gulbene - Alūksne line]
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
The Vilnius - Šiauliai - Riga service resumed on 27 December 2023.
Work on the 265km section of Rail Baltica from the proposed station at Riga airport towards the border with Lithuania is planned to commence in early 2024 with a proposed opening date of 2030. Work is already underway on the reconstruction of the main station in Riga.
Construction of a line from Imanta to Riga airport was due to start in May 2021 for completion in December 2025. It is thought work is now in progress.
Latvia cancelled all international travel with effect from 15 March 2020, leading to the suspension of all cross-border trains.
Contracts for the reconstruction of Riga Central station as a multimodal transport hub were signed on May 29 2019. The existing 1520 mm gauge line will be rebuilt on an elevated alignment, together with 2.6 km of 1435 mm gauge tracks for the Rail Baltica line. This will require six new road bridges and a 1 km bridge over the River Daugava. On overall Rail Baltica progress, an October 2021 Press Release advised of delays in Estonia resulting in an estimated completion through to Tallinn in 2030 without highlighting anticipated openings further south.
During the summer of 2018 Ukrainian railways operated a seasonal Riga-Vilnius-Minsk-Kyiv train via Siauliai, thus reopening the Jelgava - Siauliai cross border line to passengers. This train continued running in 2019 but was 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.
The (Rīga -) Jelgava - Reņge service was withdrawn on 23 February 2010 after the Lithuanians lifted the tracks on their side of the border in 2009 to prevent oil trains from the huge Mažeikiai refinery exporting their products via Ventspils. This action was declared illegal by an EU court who fined LG who then announced in October 2017 that it would be rebuilt "shortly". The line reopened on 15 February 2020.....
From 30 May 2010 the Vilnius - Sankt Peterburg train ran only between Vilnius and Rēzekne-2, where it combined with Riga - 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 Riga - Sankt Peterburg train was combined with the Riga - 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 Riga and Minsk, reopening to passengers the border crossing at Indra. Between 1 June 2012 and 25 October 2015 it was combined with the Riga - Sankt Peterburg train as far as Daugavpils, after which the Sankt Peterburg train was combined with the Riga - 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.
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
