For the second year in a row, Latvia rail freight numbers have worsened significantly. In the first four months of 2024, the overall transported volume of rail freight declined by 25,3 per cent compared with the same period last year. Rail freight numbers have worsened across the board, according to data from the Latvian ministry…
Category: Latvia
Latvia appoints special Rail Baltica secretary amid strategy change
In the midst of a troubled implementation of Rail Baltica in Latvia, the country is undergoing a strategy change. Latvia is centralising the project’s management under the transport ministry. Kristine Malnača, formerly employed at Rail Baltica, will be deputy state secretary for Rail Baltica affairs, starting in June. Malnača will be leading a Rail Baltica…
Russia to invest 156 billion rubles for Belarusian rail access to Baltic Sea
Russian Railways (RZD) intends to invest 156 billion rubles (1,5 billion euros) to enable Belarusian exports via the Baltic Sea. EU countries blocked the transit of Belarusian goods through its territories, and now Russia is coming to the aid of its steadfast ally. Additionally, Belarus will gain rail access to a brand new port in…
Latvian petition against manganese ore export to Russia gaining momentum
A petition to ban the export of manganese ore to Russia is picking up the pace in Latvia. The public initiative gathered a third of the required signatures for a parliamentary debate in a single week. The Latvian rail sector has suffered from sanctions on Russia, but public opinion is heavily in favour of them.…
Rail Baltica will not pass through all of Riga before 2030 deadline
Rail Baltica will not pass through all of Riga before 2030. Latvia is missing three billion euros for the completion of the line through its capital city. The city has been a major obstacle for the construction of the line, and the entire project risks losing one billion euros in EU funding if not completed…
LTG Cargo launches first cross-Baltic service
Lithuanian state-owned rail freight operator, LTG Cargo, recently started transporting petroleum products between Bugeniai, in Luthiania, and Valga, in Estonia. The initiative is another reflection of how operators in the Baltic are looking to diversify their operations due to loss of cargo to and from Russia and Belarus. The launch of operations was preceded by […]
Latvia bans agricultural imports from Russia and Belarus
Latvia has banned agricultural imports from Russia and Belarus. The Baltic country is the first EU country to go as far as to introduce a total ban on Russian agricultural products. The ban will last until 2025 at the very least. Russia’s neighbouring Baltic country was one of the biggest importers of Russian grain in […]
Rail Baltica Estonia signs new contracts, optimistic about progress
Rail Baltica Estonia has signed new construction contracts for a part of the Rail Baltica mainline in the northernmost Baltic country. According to the project’s organisation, the newly signed contracts covering 16 kilometres of its Estonian section are a ‘significant milestone’. The organisation also expresses optimistism about the construction progress of the rail line. The […]