Starting from February 10, the Riga – Valga rail section of the Tallinn – Vilnius train connection will be served by a modern 730 ML diesel train, and passengers travelling from Estonia to Lithuania will no longer have to change trains in Riga.
It is now possible for passengers to purchase tickets for trips covering three countries at a lower price than if they were purchased separately from three operators. For example, the three full tickets required for a Tallinn – Vilnius train connection costs EUR 53.50 when purchased separately from operators, but it is reduced to EUR 39 as a joint direct ticket.
“The Tallinn – Tartu – Riga – Vilnius train connection, launched on January 6 as part of the Baltic States’ timetable harmonisation, has received a lot of good feedback from passengers. Already when the connection was established, we agreed on how we would improve the passenger train connection between the three countries in stages – we will reduce the number of transfers and create the possibility of buying one ticket instead of three for trips covering three countries,” Lauri Betlem, Chairman of the Board of Estonian rail company Elron, said.
Starting from February 10, the state-owned Latvian passenger train company Pasažieru vilciens, operating as Vivi, will deliver services on Riga – Valga section of the route using 730 ML diesel train manufactured by Pesa leased from the Lithuanian passenger train operator LTG Link, and there will be no need to change trains at Riga station. The transfer from the Flirt train belonging to Elron to the Latvian-operated train will take place in Valga.
“Thanks to close cooperation with our Baltic partners, we took a big step forward earlier this year and opened a full-fledged train connection between Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn. In cooperation with the Lithuanian carrier, we are fulfilling our promise to improve the passenger experience on the Riga – Valga route with a modern diesel train, which will increase comfort and reduce the number of changes,” Raitis Nešpors, the CEO of Pasažieru vilciens, said.
The 730ML intercity DMU provides better travel comfort and catering compared to the modernised DR1 diesel train that has served the connection so far.
“When Rail Baltica launches, the train journey from Vilnius to Tallinn will take less than four hours. However, even before the construction of the European-gauge railway, we have been working with our Latvian and Estonian partners to develop the most optimal train connection solutions between the three Baltic states,” Kristina Meidė, the CEO of LTG Link, said.
For the new train service, Estonia, Letonia and Latvia have made their efforts and reached a synchronisation of their timetables which enabled passengers to travel smoothly between Vilnius and Tallinn, according to the CEO of LTG Link, that also explained that “in the second stage, we will offer a one-transfer trip, where passengers can purchase one ticket at a lower price.”
The Tallinn – Vilnius train connection, which was launched on January 6, is served by the Estonian passenger train operator Elron on the Tallinn – Valga route, the Latvian passenger train operator Vivi on the Valga – Riga route, and the Lithuanian passenger train operator LTG Link on the Riga – Vilnius route.
Elron is also continuing preparations for the Tartu – Riga passenger train line in order to open it additionally in 2025 and provide better connections and services to attract more passengers. In 2024, the company registered 7.93 million trips.
Latvian Pasažieru vilciens company recorded 19.4 million trips, while Lithuania’s LTG Link, 5.5 million trips and also operates the Vilnius – Riga and Vilnius – Warsaw – Krakow rail routes.
Valga – Riga test runs
On February 7, Elron has successfully completed the test run on the Valga – Riga railway section, necessary for the launch of the Tartu – Riga train. These tests have been performed by a two-car Flirt train from Stadler and in March test runs are planned on the same rail section using three-car Flirt train. The test runs were possible due to a collaboration between Elron and Latvian passenger train operator Vivi. “During the test runs, we tested the Stadler train’s compatibility with the Latvian infrastructure monitoring systems, security systems, radio communication and other systems and drove through the entire line with the sidetracks necessary for operation. For the first time, an Elron train also reached Riga Central Railway Station,” Elron’s board member, Märt Ehrenpreis, said.
A new stage of certification will begin after the test runs during which the information collected from the trials will be analysed by the Latvian conformity assessment bodies and a test run report will be prepared. The results are to be reviewed by the Accredited Assessment Body (AsBo), whose task is, among other things, to prepare a safety-related assessment report. “Such a conformity assessment and safety assessment process is a prerequisite for applying for an authorisation certificate for the Latvian network from the European Union Agency for Railways,” Märt Ehrenpreis explained.
In January, Elron and its work processes were audited by the State Railway Technical Inspectorat of Latvia and the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA), which is processing the safety certificate required for the launch of the Tartu – Riga line. In mid-January, the Technical Inspectorate of the Latvian Railways issued a permit to Elron for test runs on the Valga – Riga railway section.
On February 4, Elron’s Flirt train successfully arrived for the first time at Riga Central Station, after departing from Valga.
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