For the first time in 18 years, a passenger train service between Vilnius and Riga will resume on December 27. The Lithuanian railway company, LTG Link, is currently undertaking preparatory work for the route, as reported by CTS.
The new train will follow the route Vilnius-Kaišiadorys-Šiauliai-Joniškis-Jelgava-Riga. The journey between the Baltic capitals is expected to take 4 hours and 15 minutes. The express train will depart from Vilnius at 6:30 in the morning and return from Riga at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets for the second class will cost 24 euros, while first-class tickets will be priced at 34 euros. LTG Link is currently engaged in preparatory activities for the route, having already signed an agreement with the Latvian authorities for the use of the railway.
The passenger train service between Vilnius and Riga existed until 2005 but was later discontinued. Some irregular tourist trains operated between the capitals during the summer, but these services were also eventually canceled. In 2011, the Latvian railway company, Latvijas dzelzceļš, introduced an electric train service from Riga to Valga. The renewed passenger train service marks a significant development in regional transportation connectivity.
