Latvia approves new rail plan: maintenance cuts, EU hopes

🚉 Latvia approves new rail plan: maintenance cuts, EU hopes

The Latvian government has approved the Indicative Railway Infrastructure Development Plan 2025–2029, outlining €784 million in projects to modernize 330 km of lines by 2029 and renew 188 km by 2034.

Passenger services now account for 80% of all train-kilometres, while freight volumes are projected to stagnate at 15–16 million tonnes per year.

Context:

The plan describes a network surviving on minimum public support — with 90% of the electrified contact system built in the 1950s–70s already beyond its design life. Maintenance spending per kilometre has been halved since 2017. Despite this, passenger forecasts remain ambitious: up to 30 million passengers by 2034, partly tied to Rail Baltica integration.

Source: Latvian Transport Ministry / Cabinet of Ministers

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