The winter train schedule will come into effect on Sunday. What will change? 0 9

The company notes that there are no significant changes in the winter schedule; however, the arrival and departure times for several trains have changed by a few minutes, some routes have been extended, and other adjustments have been made.

In particular, the interval schedule is being restored on the Aizkraukle railway line, which means trains will run at equal intervals. During peak hours on the Aizkraukle line, trains will continue to run twice an hour, while during the day and after nine in the evening, they will run once an hour. Additionally, on weekdays, there will be three more trains to Ogre, departing from Riga Central Station at 5:39, 6:24, and 17:24.

The Riga–Rezekne express train will be extended to Ludza, which will significantly affect its departure time back to Riga. On the Riga–Zilupe route, there will still be two trains in each direction, but their schedule has changed. The schedule for trains heading to Liepaja, Kraslava, Indra, Madona, and Gulbene remains the same, with minor changes in departure and arrival times, the company stated.

The number of trains on the Riga–Daugavpils route will remain the same — six trains in each direction. One of them will be an express, and one will be a combined service, where passengers in Aizkraukle will need to transfer from an electric train to a diesel train. The stops for some trains have changed.

The company also reminds that repair works are ongoing in the directions of Jelgava, Skulte, Tukums, and Valga. On the Jelgava line, due to repairs, electric trains will run once an hour. Additional services will also be maintained, which during peak hours will be provided by diesel trains with fewer stops — in the morning, there will be four additional trains in each direction, and in the evening, three more trains in each direction.

Starting Sunday, December 14, the train schedule to Skulte will also change. In the schedule adapted to the repair works, trains will run once an hour, and on weekdays during peak hours, there will be additional trains between Zemitani and Vecaki, Carnikava, or Saulkrasti that do not go to Riga Central Station.

Repair works on all these routes are being carried out in phases, and train movement restrictions will vary on each section. The schedule may change depending on the progress of the repair works.

It was previously reported that last year, a total of 19.445 million passengers were transported by rail in Latvia — 13.5% more than in 2023 and 5.3% more compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

It was also reported that in mid-December 2023, PV began transporting passengers on electric trains manufactured by the Czech company "Škoda Vagonka." Prior to this, the trains underwent extensive testing and trials on Latvia's railway infrastructure. Despite this, in December 2023 and January 2024, the new trains regularly encountered various malfunctions.

The company PV was established in 2001 by separating domestic passenger services from the functions performed by LDz. Initially, PV was 100% owned by LDz, but in October 2008 it was transformed into a state-owned enterprise.