Train Right to the Doors: Stradiņi Hospital Calls for a Railway Stop in Āgenskalns 0 6

The hospital is calling for the opportunity to build a stop on its territory, naming it "Āgenskalns/Stradiņi." PSKUS explains that creating such a stop will improve the mobility of staff, patients, their relatives, and residents of Āgenskalns.

Chairman of the Board of Stradiņi Hospital, Lauris Vidzis, emphasizes that railway transport is becoming an increasingly convenient and popular means of travel. He notes that staff of the Children’s Clinical University Hospital, as well as young patients and their families, have been comfortably reaching the medical facility by train for over a year.

Vidzis shares that Stradiņi Hospital provides more than 700,000 inpatient and outpatient services annually to residents of Riga and all of Latvia. Currently, many patients and their relatives are forced to use complicated public transport routes or personal vehicles, facing serious parking issues in the hospital area.

The creation of a railway stop in close proximity to the hospital would significantly improve access to medical services, especially for people with disabilities, the elderly, and patients from the regions. Therefore, Stradiņi Hospital urges all responsible institutions to find a way to implement this project.

PSKUS has already discussed the necessity of building the stop with the Āgenskalns neighborhood community, which fully supports the initiative, stating that it would greatly ease the daily lives of not only patients and hospital staff but also residents of Āgenskalns, Zasulauks, and nearby areas.

Chairman of the Āgenskalns community, Robert Karklinš, notes that the appearance of the stop will simplify and make the use of railway transport more convenient, as well as help Riga move closer to its goal of making the railway the backbone of the city's public transport system.

According to Karklinš, the railway stop in Āgenskalns will improve access to medical services, reduce traffic congestion on nearby streets, and help create a more pleasant urban environment. He calls on state and municipal institutions to find the necessary funding for its construction.

To discuss the possibilities and timelines for the project, representatives of Stradiņi Hospital have already met with Riga's Vice Mayor Maris Sprindžuks and other representatives of the Riga City Council.

PSKUS reports that in the coming weeks, the hospital's management will hold meetings with all interested parties — the State Agency "Autotransport Directorate," the State Joint Stock Company "Latvijas dzelzceļš," and the Joint Stock Company "Pasažieru vilciens."

The railway stop at Stradiņi Hospital in Āgenskalns is included in the project "Modernization of Railway Infrastructure on the Torņakalns — Imanta Section" by the State Joint Stock Company "Latvijas dzelzceļš" and can be built if sufficient funding is available. It is still unknown whether and when the construction of this stop will begin.

It was previously reported that the "Autotransport Directorate," in collaboration with stakeholders, is considering the possibility of building a railway station at PSKUS, according to LETA citing the directorate.

Chairman of the Directorate, Jānis Lapiņš, met with Vidzis on Monday to discuss the possible construction of the station.

According to the directorate, the new station could significantly increase the attractiveness of this destination for residents. At the same time, it could reduce the flow of cars in the Stradiņi Hospital area and the number of parked cars, as well as contribute to the development of other services.

The parties agreed to hold a broader meeting of all interested institutions — the Ministry of Transport, the State Joint Stock Company "Latvijas dzelzceļš," and the Joint Stock Company "Pasažieru vilciens," operating under the brand "Vivi," to discuss possible funding and promotion of the project.