Latvian Railways

Latvijas dzelzceļš
Company type	State-owned enterprise
Industry	Railway infrastructure management and services
Predecessor	Latvian State Railways (1919–1940)
Founded	September 2, 1991; 35 years ago in Latvia
Headquarters	Riga, Latvia
Area served	Latvia
Key people	Artis Grinbergs (CEO, from 2024)
Products	Railway infrastructure management, freight wagon operations, passenger stations development, electricity distribution and sales, real estate leasing, IT and electronic communications
Owner	Government of Latvia (Latvian Ministry of Transport)
Number of employees	Approximately 23,000 (circa 1992) (1992)
Website	www.ldz.lv

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Latvian Railways, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 6 August 2025

Latvijas dzelzceļš (English: Latvian Railway, abbreviated as LDz) is a government-owned enterprise responsible for managing Latvia’s public railway infrastructure. Entirely possessed by the Government of Latvia, its exclusive shareholder is the Latvian Ministry of Transport. Established on 2 September 1991, it is the successor to the Latvian State Railways (), which was originally founded in 1919 and ceased operation in 1940 during the Soviet annexation.

LDz heads the Latvijas dzelzceļš Group, providing a variety of services including railway infrastructure oversight, freight wagon operations, wagon maintenance and inspections, development of passenger stations, electricity distribution and sales, real estate leasing, information technology, and electronic communications.

The Group consists of the parent company along with six subsidiaries:

SIA LDZ CARGO – responsible for rail freight and international passenger transport;
SIA LDZ Loģistika – specializing in logistics and multimodal transportation;
SIA LDZ Infrastruktūra – handling infrastructure construction and upkeep;
SIA LDZ Ritošā Sastāva Serviss – focused on rolling stock repair and servicing;
SIA LDZ Apsardze – providing security services;
Joint-stock company LatRailNet – overseeing infrastructure tariffs and capacity distribution.

Additionally, LDz manages the Latvian Rail History Museum, showcasing exhibitions in Riga and Jelgava.

Railway history of Latvia until 1991

Latvia’s inaugural independent railway line, linking Riga to Daugavpils, commenced operations on 12 September 1861. By December 1862, the railway connecting St. Petersburg and Warsaw was finalized, establishing an important junction at Daugavpils. By 1880, Latvia had developed roughly of rail track.

At the turn of the century, private railways were absorbed under state administration. The Riga-Oryol Railway Administration emerged as the largest operator, controlling of railways. Other lines were managed by the Russian Northwestern Railway and the Liepāja–Romna Railway administrations. The Moscow–Ventspils Railroad, inaugurated in 1904, extended over beyond Riga to the port city of Ventspils, with located within Latvia. This network connected key ports to inland markets—a strategic asset that remains crucial today. Early 20th-century improvements included new stations, connecting routes, and construction of the Riga Railway Bridge over the Daugava River, although World War I delayed completion of Riga’s passenger station redevelopment.

The impacts of World War I and the Latvian War of Independence inflicted significant damage but also led to expansion of rail length from , primarily through narrow-gauge military railways.

After Latvia declared independence, the Latvian Railways High Board () was created on 5 August 1919 to govern almost all rail operations within Latvia. Narrow-gauge lines mostly stayed under private ownership. The state-run Latvijas dzelzceļi (Latvian State Railways) swiftly restored infrastructure. In 1923, the international Nord Express route was launched, connecting Riga with Berlin and Paris, alongside a Riga–Moscow line. By 1925, new railways had been constructed, stations modernized, and Riga’s passenger station equipped with the Baltic region’s first electrical interlocking system to enhance safety. Before 1940, an additional of track had been established along with more than 200 iron bridges and approximately 130 station buildings; all damages from World War I were fully repaired. The Soviet occupation in 1940 resulted in dissolution of the Railways High Board.

During World War II, Latvian railway infrastructure suffered extensive destruction—bridges, stations, tracks, and signaling systems were heavily damaged.

Following the Soviet re-occupation post-1944, reconstruction and modernization efforts took place through 1950: electrification of suburban lines was implemented; new bridges were constructed; diesel locomotives replaced steam engines for freight and long-distance services; and rolling stock safety was enhanced. Industrial expansion from the 1960s through the ’80s significantly increased cargo volumes. Electric and diesel trains manufactured by RVR served growing suburban routes. Since 1963, Latvian railways operated jointly with those in Estonia, Lithuania, and Kaliningrad under the Soviet Baltic Railway Administration (Pribaltiyskaya railway), headquartered in Riga.

Evolution of Latvijas dzelzceļš Group (1991–present)

After Latvia regained its independence in 1991, control and management of all public railway networks within the country were assigned to the state enterprise Latvijas dzelzceļš starting 1 January 1992, overseeing railway operations with a workforce numbering approximately 23,000.

In 1993, the organization underwent transformation into a state-owned joint-stock company (VAS) named Latvijas dzelzceļš, wholly owned by the Latvian government.

This restructuring led to the establishment of the first subsidiary in 2001—Pasažieru vilciens—dedicated to passenger rail services. From 2008 onward, it has functioned as a fully state-owned, independent joint-stock company and adopted the brand name Vivi in 2023.

To handle security for LDz’s infrastructure, SIA Dzelzceļa Apsardze was founded in 2003 and later rebranded as SIA LDZ Apsardze in 2007.

Following Latvia’s accession to the European Union, additional subsidiaries were launched in 2005: SIA LDZ Cargo, SIA LDZ Infrastruktūra, and SIA LDZ Ritošā Sastāva Serviss. In 2008, to distinguish logistics activities from cargo operations, SIA LDZ Loģistika was created. Subsequently, in 2010, the joint-stock company LatRailNet was established to oversee critical infrastructure responsibilities within the Group in accordance with amendments to Latvia’s Railway Law.

Leadership of Latvijas Dzelzceļš

Staņislavs Baiko (1991–1994)
Vitolds Kūliņš (1994)
Andris Zorgevics (1994–2005)
Uģis Magonis (2005–2014)
Aivars Strakšas (2014–2015)
Edvīns Bērziņš (2015–2019)
Māris Kleinbergs (2019–2023)
Rinalds Pļavnieks (2023–2024)
Artis Grinbergs (from 2024 onwards)

The strategic objective of Latvijas dzelzceļš is to boost the Group’s competitive edge by integrating its various business segments, thereby achieving greater operational efficiency than if they operated separately. This approach ensures that subsidiaries align with and support national economic priorities.

Corporate Strategy

The mission of Latvijas dzelzceļš Group centers on managing Latvia’s railway infrastructure with safety, efficiency, and sustainability while delivering competitive rail and logistics solutions that bolster both the economy and society.

Its vision is to evolve into a highly efficient and competitive enterprise that offers substantial added value by remaining adaptable to shifts within the transportation sector.

As one of Latvia’s major employers, Latvijas dzelzceļš depends on a talented workforce enriched by multi-generational expertise to address market demands and uphold stringent traffic safety standards.

Since 2016, the Group has been issuing sustainability reports prepared in accordance with international GRI guidelines and subjected to independent audits. These reports are publicly available at: parskati.ldz.lv.

Domestic Rail Services

Passenger rail operations are conducted by Pasažieru vilciens. The current service routes include:

Torņakalns – Tukums II Railway¹
Riga – Jelgava Railway²
Jelgava – Liepāja Railway (operating eight times weekly each way)
Riga – Daugavpils Railway³ (five daily services)
Annual connection: Riga - Daugavpils - Aglona
Krustpils – Rēzekne – Zilupe (bordering Russia)
- Two daily trains departing Riga extend beyond Krustpils, including the Riga–Moscow diesel route.
Rīga – Sigulda – Cēsis – Valmiera – Valga
- This corridor features suburban stops at Zemitāni, Čiekurkalns, and Jugla. Diesel-powered trains serve this line now, with Sigulda receiving approximately eleven trains daily, Cēsis six, Valmiera four, and two continuing onward to Valka/Valga on the Latvian-Estonian frontier.
Zemitāni – Skulte Railway⁴
Pļaviņas – Gulbene

Passenger routes currently suspended include:

Rīga – Reņģe (towards Lithuania)
Rīga – Ērgļi (railway dismantled)
Jelgava – Meitene (Lithuanian border)
Jelgava – Krustpils
Kārsava (Russian border) – Rēzekne – Daugavpils – Zemgale (Lithuanian border)
Eglaine (Lithuanian border) – Daugavpils – Indra (Belarus border), where service operates twice weekly to Indra.

¹ Electrification extends up to Tukums ² Electrified through to Jelgava ³ Electrification reaches Aizkraukle ⁴ Entire route fully electrified

International connections

Railway lines link Latvia with its neighboring countries, Lithuania and Estonia. Trains operated by LDz make stops at Valka/Valga, enabling passengers to transfer to Tartu via the Estonian carrier Elron. Daugavpils is connected to Vilnius through weekend services provided by Lithuanian Railways.

All cross-border passenger train operations were halted in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 crisis. Additionally, routes to Ukraine remain inactive following the 2022 Russian invasion and ensuing sanctions.

Latvijas Ekspresis previously ran overnight trains between Riga and various Russian cities.

Principal international routes include:

Riga – Šiauliai – Vilnius – Minsk – Kyiv (currently suspended)
- Overnight service every fourth day utilizing Ukrainian rolling stock
- Two trains operate between Riga and Minsk on alternating days
Daugavpils – Vilnius (currently suspended)
- Weekend service with 2-3 daily departures
Tallinn – Valga – Riga – Jelgava – Joniškis – Šiauliai – Kaišiadorys – Vilnius
- Since December 27, 2023, a daily Vilnius–Riga service runs via LTG Link, extended in January 2025 to Valka (LTG Link) and further onward to Tallinn (operated by Elron).

Cargo operations

Latvian railways handle a significant volume of freight, with cargo trains running along the entire passenger network as well as on several lines that no longer serve passengers.

Additional services

A narrow gauge railway connecting Gulbene and Alūksne is managed by SIA "Gulbenes – Alūksnes bānītis" under a government agreement, employing historic Russian and Polish rolling stock. As of 2019, this service operates two daily round trips along the 33 km track.

Diesel locomotives

Freight

M62 – 33 units
2M62 – 40 units
2M62UM – 30 units
2TE10M – 10 units
2TE10U – 14 units
2TE116 – 11 units

Passenger

TEP70 – 15 units

Shunting

ČME3^M, ČME3MB (ChME3) – 57 units
TEM2 – 7 units
TGK2V – 1 unit
TGM3 – 1 unit
TGM23, TGM23B – 2 units

Electric multiple units

ER2 – 32 sets [planned for retirement]
ER2T – 6 sets (numbers 7113-7118)
ER2^M – 1 set (No. 605)

Škoda units

Škoda Vagonka 16EV – 32 sets, serving as modern electric multiple units within Latvian railways.

Diesel multiple units

DR1A – 31 trains
DR1A^M – 10 trains
AR2 (railbus) – single unit operating on the Jelgava-Krustpils route for worker transport

External links

Official company website