New Passenger Train link to connect Baltic capitals starting January 6

A new passenger train service connecting the capitals of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia is set to begin operations on Monday, January 6. The joint venture involves Lithuanian rail carrier LTG Link, Latvian carrier Vivi, and Estonian carrier Elron, offering a convenient travel option between Vilnius, Riga, and Tallinn.

The complete journey will take approximately 10.5 hours, with tickets for each segment of the trip needing to be purchased separately from the respective carriers. The initial leg from Vilnius to Riga will be operated by LTG Link, the second leg from Riga to Valga by Vivi, and the final leg from Valga to Tallinn by Elron. On the first day of service, the management teams from all three carriers will ride the train to evaluate the route’s effectiveness and benefits.

Multi-Segment Journey with Coordinated Timetables

While the service is not yet a single continuous journey, the three individual train trips have been synchronized to allow passengers to travel consecutively with minimal layovers. Transfers will occur in Riga and Valga, with wait times ranging from 12 to 19 minutes.

The approved timetable for the route includes LTG Link’s diesel train departing Vilnius at 07:05 AM and arriving in Riga at 11:04 AM. The journey continues with Vivi’s diesel train leaving Riga at 11:16 AM, arriving in Valga at 1:51 PM. Finally, Elron’s diesel train departs Valga at 2:10 PM and reaches Tallinn at 5:34 PM. For the return journey, Elron’s train departs Tallinn at 10:25 AM, connecting with Vivi’s service in Valga at 1:54 PM, and concluding with LTG Link’s train from Riga to Vilnius, arriving at 9:03 PM.

Anticipated Improvements and Stops

Currently, the total journey time from Tallinn to Vilnius is approximately 10.5 hours. However, once railway infrastructure repairs are completed in Estonia, this duration is expected to decrease by about one hour, enhancing the travel experience.

The route will serve numerous stops across the three countries, including:

• Lithuania: Vilnius, Kaišiadorys, Jonava, Kėdainiai, Radviliškis, Šiauliai, Joniškis
• Latvia: Jelgava, Riga, Zemitāni, Jugla, Inčukans, Sigulda, Līgatne, Ieriķi, Cēsis, Lode, Valmiera, Strenči, Lugaži
• Estonia: Valga, Elva, Tartu, Jõgeva, Tamsalu, Tapa, Ülemiste, Kitseküla, Tallinn

This new train link marks a significant step towards enhancing regional connectivity and providing a more streamlined travel experience for passengers across the Baltic states.