1. Different aspects of Latvian Railway Sector
Railway PRO Investment Summit, 6-7 October, 2015 Bucharest, Romania
Dins Merirands
Deputy state secretary
Ministry of Transport of Latvia

2. Latvia in the European Union

3. 1520 Benefits There is no need: single infrastructure
single rolling stock
unified information exchange system
single documentation
There is no need:
to spend time at bordercrossings
to change wheels
to change the documentation
to make customs clearance on the border

4. Latvian Railway infrastructure
Total length of 1520 mm gauge lines – km
Length of electrified lines – km

5. Scheme of railway sector monitoring and cooperation
Ministry of transport
State Railway adminstration
Regulatory body for rail
Licencing body
Enforces rail policy
Keeps registers
Other tasks
State railway technical inspectorate
National safety authority (NSA)
Certifies train drivers
Interacts with European Railway Agency (ERA)
Other tasks
LDZ group:
Holding company is infrastructure manager
Freight railway undertaking LDZ Cargo
Performs also international passenger services with third countries in collaboration with private service provider for passengers
Rolling stock service
Other entities
LatRailNet
Independent body for infrastructure charging and capacity allocation
AS «Pasažieru vilciens»
State owned passenger railway undertaking performing PSO contract
AS «Baltijas tranzīta serviss»
AS «Baltijas ekspresis»
2 freight railway undertakings having 30% of turnover
Privat undertakings
SIA «Gulbenes – Alūksnes bānītis»
Small passenger railway undertaking running regional PSO services on 33 km long narrow gauge line

6. Latvian Railway freight and passenger flows

7. Basic strategies of Latvian railway development
Infrastructure renewal;
Development of transit business to Latvian ports;
Development of Passenger transport and local freight transport;
Development of project Rail Baltica.

8. Main recent infrastructure development projects completed
Project name
~ M.EUR
Time frame
Construction of second track in section Skrīveri – Krustpils
93, 412
2014
Reconstruction of existing rail track in Rail Baltica corridor
43,481
2015
Reconstruction of marshalling hump in station Šķirotava
38,850
Construction of station Bolderāja II with access line to terminals in Krievu sala
45,639
Reconstruction of signaling, telecommunication and power supply systems in section Zasulauks – Bolderāja I
15,455
Total
236,837

9. Main upcoming Infrastructure Development Projects of Latvian railway (LDZ)
Project name
~ M.EUR
Time frame
Electrification of East – West rail corridor, 25 kV AC
549
2016…2022
Implementation of ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) 21
2017…2021
Reconstruction of Riga and Daugavpils railway junctions
105
2016…2020
Modernization of passenger service infrastructure 24
2017…2019

10. (Northern Distribution Network)
Container trains from Latvia
Riga Express
Tallinn
Baltica Transit
Moscow
Zubr
Ilyichevsk
Odessa
Almaty
NDN
(Northern Distribution Network)
Bishkek
Kabul
(Bagram etc.)

11. Baltic transit Established in 2003
Connects Baltics with Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kirgizstan and Afganistan
Operated by FESCO (LDz Cargo Logistika)
Riga - Alma-Ata 12 days
Ashabad 18 days
Bishkek 13 days
Dushanbe 18 days
Tashkent 17 days
Hairaton 16 days
Advantages:
regular service 2-3 times a week
10 years experience
collects cargo from all Baltic ports
short transit times
tracking and tracing online
electronic priarival declaration
simplified customs transit procedures
Almaty

12. Baltic transit – next steps
Connections with China
Main market – Urumqi city and Xinjiang region
Distribution in the Baltics and Scandinavia
48 h
26.4 mln customers
Dostyk
Almaty
Horgos
Urumqi

13. Container Train - ZUBR Launched in 2009
Railway companies from 5 countries: Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Estonia and Moldova
operators: Latvia: LDz Cargo Loģistika SIA; Belarus: BELINTERTRANS (BTLC State Enterprise), Estonia: AS EVR Cargo, Ukraine: UGCTS „Liski”, Moldova: „ Union ekspedicya „)
Tallinn
Cargo delivery route
Delivery time
Tallinn - Odessa/Ilyichivsk
83 hours or 3 days 11 hours
Riga - Odessa/Ilyichivsk
66 hours or 2 days 18 hours
Odessa/Ilyichivsk - Riga
63 hours or 3 days 15 hours
Odessa/Ilyichivsk - Tallinn
Ilychevsk
Odessa

14. Container train – Riga Express
Since 2010 private rail operator SRR started weekly container service on the route Riga – Moscow
Full package of services such as rail transportation, customs clearance, door to door deliveries, FCL, LCL and project cargo transportation included
Moscow

15. Development of railway passenger transport in Latvia
New passenger train modernization:
Company «DMU vilcieni» modernises 19 new diesel train wagons for State owned passenger railway undertaking AS «Pasažieru vilciens»;
State owned passenger railway undertaking AS «Pasažieru vilciens» has launched a new electric train procurement. Last date to submit the tender –
Information on procurement can be found:

16. Rail Baltica project in Latvia
Main features:
Standard (1435 mm) track gauge,
Interoperabilty and direct link with main EU rail network
Design speed 240 kph
Maximum axle load 25 tonnes
Double track for entire length
Fully electrified 25 kV AC
Latest veriosn of ERTMS

17. Rail Baltica project in Latvia
Main features:
Interoperability on 1435 mm rail network
Intermodality with 1520 mm rail network and other transport modes
Study on intermodal logistics centre ongoing

18. Rail Baltica project in Latvia
CEF first stage activities:
Detailed technical design for a Central part of Rail Baltica railway connection;
 Technical design and construction of Riga Central Railway junction and related Civil constructions;
Technical design and construction of Riga International Airport Rail Baltica passenger station building and junction;
Construction of railway connection central part:  Riga Central Station to Riga International Airport (Phase I).
Time schedule for planned activities under CEF 1st call of proposals (2014 – 2022):
2015 – 2018 Studies and technical design
2015 – 2019 Land acquisition
2019 – 2022 Construction of Phase I .

19. Thank you Dins Merirands Deputy state secretary
Ministry of Transport of Latvia
Tel: