All Latvia articles

  • DSC_0142
    News

    Traction innovations on show in Ostrava

    2024-06-28T09:00:00Z

    CZECH REPUBLIC: One of the 18 Flirt electric multiple-units being supplied to Serbia formed the centrepiece of the Stadler presentation for the Rail Business Days 2024 trade fair at Ostrava’s Trojhalí Karolina centre.

  • Riga Central station rooftop Ceremony (Photo Rail Baltica) (2)
    News

    Wreath of European plants tops out Riga Central station

    2024-03-04T11:29:00Z

    LATVIA: A Rail Baltica and Europe-themed wreath formed the centrepiece of the topping out ceremony for the new station building at Riga Central. The station is being extensively remodelled to improve facilities for services on the existing broad gauge network as well as accommodating the Rail ...

  • LTG Cargo locomotive in Estonia (Photo LTG Cargo)
    News

    Lithuanian rail operator pilots ‘competitive green logistics’ in the three Baltic States

    2024-02-25T05:00:00Z

    EUROPE: Lithuania’s LTG Cargo has operated a pilot freight train through Latvia to Valga, the first station in Estonia. On February 23 CEO Eglė Šimė said LTG Cargo plans to start offering ‘competitive green logistics services’ in the three countries in the near future, as a ...

  • Latvia Skoda EMU (Photo Skoda) (2)
    News

    Board of Latvian operator quits over problems with new trains

    2024-02-21T09:00:00Z

    LATVIA: The supervisory board of national passenger operator Pasažieru Vilciens, now branded Vivi, resigned at the end of January, saying they lacked the powers needed to address disruption resulting from faults with new trains. Sandis Šteins had headed the board since 2016, and resigned along with ...

  • LTG Link train (Photo LTG Link)
    News

    Vilnius – Riga passenger train launch date confirmed

    2023-12-19T09:44:00Z

    EUROPE: Lithuanian passenger operator LTG Link has opened ticket sales for its Vilnius – Riga service, which is set to launch on December 27. The daily service will leave Vilnius at 06.30 and arrive in the Latvian capital at 10.43. The return ...

  • Latvia Skoda EMU (Photo Skoda) (2)
    News

    Latvian operator rebrands as Škoda EMUs enter service

    2023-12-18T15:11:00Z

    LATVIA: Passenger operator Pasažieru Vilcien, now rebranding as Vivi, has put its first Škoda Class 16EV electric multiple-units into passenger service. ‘We are taking a big step forward in the development of train travel and we continue to work to ensure that more and more passengers ...

  • Lithuanian passenger train (Photo LTG Link)
    News

    Vilnius – Riga passenger train to launch in December

    2023-11-10T15:15:00Z

    EUROPE: Lithuanian passenger operator LTG Link expects to launch a through service from Vilnius to Riga in Latvia in December, filling a gap in the European passenger rail network. A track access agreement has been signed with the Latvian infrastructure manager, Latvian speaking drivers have been ...

  • Daugavpils tram launch (Photo DLRR)
    Metro Report International

    Locally-assembled tram unveiled in Daugavpils

    2023-10-20T05:00:00Z

    LATVIA: The first two of four trams being assembled at the Daugavpils Locomotive Repair Plant using components supplied by Czech company Pragoimex was unveiled in the city on October 17. The trams are based on Pragoimex’s EVO1 model. The remaining two vehicles are due to be ...

  • Rail Baltica impression
    News

    Rail Baltica Academy to provide project insights for all

    2023-05-21T05:00:00Z

    EUROPE: The Rail Baltica Academy is to hold its third series of online public lectures from May 22, aiming to provide a broad audience including industry professionals, policymakers, students and future users with insights gained from the cross-border standard gauge line project. The lecture programme is ...

  • Transport ministers from the three Baltic States met in Tallinn to discuss co-operation to improve passenger and freight links.
    News

    Baltic States discuss Vilnius – Riga – Tallinn passenger service and gauge conversion

    2023-01-31T10:00:00Z

    EUROPE: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are to explore options to launch a passenger service between their capitals using existing 1 520 mm gauge railways, ahead of the completion of the future Rail Baltica 1 435 mm gauge line. The lack of through services between the Baltic ...

  • Rail Baltica impression
    News

    €353m Rail Baltica grant agreement signed

    2022-10-26T15:17:00Z

    EUROPE: A grant agreement which will see the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility provide €353·9m for the Rail Baltica project has been signed by the European Climate, Infrastructure & Environment Executive Agency, ministries from the three countries and tri-national implementation agency RB Rail. This will fund the ...

  • Daugavpils tram
    Metro Report International

    Trams to be produced in Latvia

    2022-10-18T05:00:00Z

    LATVIA: The municipal transport operator in Daugavpils has awarded Daugavpils Locomotive Repair Plant a €7·4m+VAT contract to supply four new fully low-floor four-axle trams by the end of 2023.

  • Rail Baltica train concept
    In depth

    Viewpoint: Institutional fragmentation has undermined Rail Baltica

    2022-10-06T11:00:00Z

    On paper Rail Baltica is a perfect match for the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility programme. But three issues need to be addressed, argues Kaspars Briškens, who recently stepped down as Head of Strategy & Development at the standard gauge railway project.

  • Končar TMK 2300 LT low-floor tram for Liepāja at InnoTrans 2022 (11)
    Metro Report International

    Tram for Latvia highlights Croatian capabilities

    2022-09-27T11:30:00Z

    INNOTRANS: One of the TMK 2300 LT low-floor trams which Croatian manufacturer Končar is supplying to Liepāja was displayed at InnoTrans before delivery to Latvia. The metre-gauge TMK 2300 LT is a development of the TMK 2200 trams supplied to Zagreb, and ...

  • Amber Train laadimine 2
    News

    Amber Train links the Baltic States to western Europe

    2022-09-26T09:56:00Z

    EUROPE: A trial Amber Train service between the Baltic States left the Estonian port of Muuga on September 13, arriving the following day at Kaunas in Lithuanian where its load of semi-trailers was transferred to 1 435 mm gauge wagons for onward transport to destinations including ...

  • Rail Baltica impression
    News

    Rail Baltica shadow operator appointed

    2022-08-30T15:39:00Z

    EUROPE: A joint venture of the German national railway’s DB Engineering & Consulting business, Spanish national operator RENFE Operadora and consultancy Ineco is to act as shadow operator for the Rail Baltica project. The €8m contract was signed by Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail and ...

  • Rail Baltica Salaspils Intermodal Freight Terminal (3)
    News

    Rail Baltica freight terminal design contract awarded

    2022-06-17T11:23:00Z

    LATVIA: A joint venture of local company BRD Projekts and Italian firm Sintagma has been awarded a contract for detailed technical design of the Salaspils intermodal terminal to be served by Rail Baltica. The terminal near Rīga will have 1 520 and ...

  • Rail Baltica train concept
    News

    Rail Baltica electrification procurement begins

    2022-06-01T13:37:00Z

    EUROPE: Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail has begun procurement of the electrification systems for the future standard gauge line between Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, saying it will be the largest railway electrification scheme in Europe to be implemented as a single project. The energy ...

  • Rail Baltica impression
    News

    Business opportunities as Rail Baltica looks 150 years ahead

    2022-05-12T13:33:00Z

    EUROPE: ‘What will this look like in 150 years?’ is a question being asked by Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail, which sees the greenfield construction project as offering opportunities to take a very long-term view of where rail technology is heading, and to apply best ...

  • Rail Baltica River Neris bridge impression
    News

    Invasion of Ukraine ‘has increased the geopolitical relevance of Rail Baltica’

    2022-04-14T14:27:00Z

    EUROPE: ‘The Russian invasion of Ukraine reaffirms the need to connect the Baltic states to the rest of Europe’, said Catherine Trautmann, the European Commission’s co-ordinator for the North Sea – Baltic TEN-T corridor, on April 13, when Rail Baltica project promoter RB Rail set out ...