The Important Rail Connection between Latvia & Lithuania IS FINALLY BACK!
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Today we're riding the BRAND NEW International service from Latvia to Lithuania!
The connection between Riga and Vilnius last ran 20 years ago, so it's great that it's back providing a much needed link between these two Baltic capitals. New Polish-built DMUs operate this service, with two travel classes and at-seat food and drinks service, so let's go and check it together!
#LTGLink #Riga #Latvia #Vilnius #Lithuania #NewService
Date of Filming: 6/4/23
Camera: GoPro Hero 12 Black
Operator: LTG Link (Lithuanian Railways)
Departure: Riga, Latvia
Arrival: Vilnius, Lithuania
Cost: Second Class - €24.00 (£20.43, $26.05)
First Class - €34.00 (£28.94, $36.90)
Here is the LTG Link onboard menu:
ltglink.lt/en/menu-on-vilnius...
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00:00 - Intro
01:28 - RailBaltica
02:05 - Riga Central Station Tour
03:10 - To the Platform!
04:15 - Level8: My Favourite Luggage!
05:00 - Train Information & Boarding
06:40 - Route & Pricing
07:45 - #TrainWindowViews
08:20 - Complimentary Onboard Service
09:20 - First Class Seat Tour
10:30 - Crossing the Latvia-Lithuania Border
11:05 - Calling at Joniskis
11:30 - Meal Service
12:00 - Exploring the Train inc. Accessibility & Toilets
13:45 - Trip Summary & Arrival at Vilnius
14:48 - Outro
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Если это железнодорожное сообщение настолько важное,то почему оно было уничтожено?Кем и когда?Неужели опять Советская Власть виновата?😂😂😂
My father in law is a retired Lithuanian train driver. He went to travel on this train last week.
You can see how the Rail Baltika project is proceeding when travelling out of Kaunas. It is such an important project for the region, both as an infrastructure project and a tie to the rest of the EU.
It's very important to connect these countries to the remainder of Europe.
Should have been a thing regardless of Russian actions
@@qjtvaddict better later than never
@@qjtvaddict Rail Baltika has been in the pipeline since before 2010. The Baltics have always been keenly aware of their neighbour.
Absolutely 😁💯
Before COVID and war, Ukrainian Railway used to have a Riga-Kyiv train that you can use between Riga and Vilnius
Which is technically impossible now due to indefinite closure of UA-BY and BY-LT borders, and need for double gauge change (with no changing facilities for now) between UA-PL and PL-LT.
Which is extremely unfortunate.
A little correction: The Pesa 730M is a separate model, not part of the Dart family. The only delivered Darts are the 8-car ED161 EMUs for PKP Intercity.
Did I call it a dart? 👀
@@NonstopEurotrip At 5:09
@@tupolewposting2733 Yeah that was a typo 😉
The train doesn't serve Kaunas because the train would arrive at the station, then have to reverse back to Vilnius, making it almost a Riga-Kaunas train that becomes a Kaunas-Vilnius train. Most people wishing to go to Kaunas probably make their stopover at Kaišiadorys.
Fair point ☝🏻
@@TrainspotterFromLithuania my point stands. That railway does exist, but running the train directly from Jonava - Kaunas would mean that the train would have to the reverse to Vilnius. What I meant was that the train would stop at Kaišiadorys, then people would get on a Vilnius - Kaunas train.
@@TrainspotterFromLithuania as far as I understand this is what was the Baltic coastal line? if so, unless they have done something to improve it (which is possible, since both countries take transport seriously), it was a slow single track, with a track speed of maybe 60km/h, suitable for freight traffic and local trains, but really not something you would want to run a flagman international intercity express on.
Great that this service is operating. When I was in Lithuania in 2017, we had to get a bus from Vilnius to Daugavpils, stay overnight, and then get an an insanely early train to Riga the next day. This looks far more civilised! Haha
Sounds like murican travel
You could have got the bus from Vilnius to Riga.
@@BrokenBackMountains True … but I love trains. 😁
@@FromtheWindowSeatSo do I.
Back in the day you could get a train from Vilnius to Riga.I travelled on it when I lived in Lithuania. It stopped in about 2003 or 2004.
Back in the 99s there were some interesting journeys to be had by train. The dodgiest was the one from Poland that went through a portion of Belarus. The border guards were interesting😂 Also the Siaulai to Klaipeda was like stepping back in time.
Drive your our auto - it is more safer and cheap.
Good to see the two capitals reunited by rail at last! Last year a Spanish youtuber did the longest possible trip by rail, and crossed the border walking the train tracks.
Oh nice!
ITs same like Zagreb-Belgrade ,trains runed for 70 years but not since last 3 years so last week some west youtuber went by train from Zagreb to border off Croatia-Serbia , walk over border and then taked train to Belgrade just to show how ridiculous that is
Those luggage ramps are not (only) Soviet style. I have seen them in Krefeld and Würzburg Main stations, neither city having ever been under Soviet control.
Yeah they are absolutely normal in many swiss stations too
Krefeld looks like it was under soviet control.
I never said they were only ex soviet
I live in Spain, we have them too here.
Great that this connection is back. Much more comfortable and safer than the bus.
It sure is!
1. Yesterday watched Latvian talk show when local MPs said that by the moment 0km of RailBaltic tracks have been constructed. 2. These "Soviet trains - electrichcas" were built in Latvia for the entire Soviet Union until it collapsed. The plant has gone bankrupt in 90s, so today Latvia replaces their home made commuter trains with imported Skoda.
I've been to almost all of the countries of Europe and Lithuania, particulary Vilnius is very underrated. Great video!
It's far from the best though 😂
The line from Riga to Tartu (second largest city of Estonia) will open in the autumn
Exciting 😄
My biggest issue with this train is the timetable. One your per day and direction and the north-bound trip leaves at 6:30. That does allow for a connection in Riga and then another one in Valga, making Vilnius - Tallinn within a single day possible, but it is still rather early.
Hopefully they will expand services soon, the demand is there!
Great trip. It's great to see Rail in Baltic have great reception from people. Can't wait for Rail Baltica launched.
I can't wait too!!
You'll be disappointed, but I watched a Latvian talk show yesterday. Local MPs said that by the moment 0km of the tracks have been constructed. They also said that Latvia has already spent all the budget given by the EU for the project. They are building a new airport terminal and a railway line Riga-airport instead of the RailBaltic. Current calculation of the project 6x exceeds the initial budget, so Latvia just doesn't have money to continue if the EU won't give more investments. The problem is that in any case Latvia must find 15% of the total cost. By the moment state budget don't have this amount of money. As a result the future of RailBaltic is unclear
As a resident in Tallinn I can tell you that very sadly that Elron basically keeps delaying their connection to Riga every time they can.
I'm currently in Riga and took a 4h bus to get here that cost 10€, with more than 1 per hour... One of the reasons why they don't think the longer train route would be feasible.
One day!!
I've always been a fan of travelling on trains too.
Travelled to Riga and Vilnius in May 2023 with two friends. We would certainly have used the train for the journey to Vilnius. The first class fare on the train is about the same as Lux Express ' first class section , the journey time is similar and the at seat service looks far superior to the offering on the bus. However, as pointed out elsewhere, the 6.30am departure from Vilnius is a bit of a stretch.
I can see the need for the new high speed line to Poland, they really can't connect to the rest of Europe in their current state since if I recall all the railways in the Baltics are built to Soviet gauge not standard gauge. Though the tradeoff with the wider Soviet gauge, like Iberian gauge is the trains can be a bit wider and roomier.
Thank you!!!!
Welcome 🤗
Great video.
Thanks!
Wow I wasn’t expecting it to look so swish! Go Latvia!
It's so good!
the metal ramps on the stairs are not for bikes and suitcases, but for prams.
They're for all
@@NonstopEurotrip You can certainly push anything up on these ramps, but intentionally they were built for prams.
What you can wright on your wish list the train from Boden Sweden to the border city to Finland, Haparanda, partly old route, partly new route and all electric now. Have travel that old route several times.
I've already done it :)
Great video!
Thanks!
This looks correct. Although I am always a bit irked seeing a 2+2 seat arrangement in first class ( like the SNCB/NMBS Desiro I’m just travelling on😂)
Ahh, remembering those good old days when Nonstop Eurotrip was voiceless. Dželgava, Džonava LOL!
spent time on trying to pronounce spanish names the native way, yet couldn't do that for some "lowly" baltic places lmao
Simpleton things eh 😉
1:43 I've heard that Latvian and Estonian sections of the rail line will be initially single-tracked (which isn't that great)
I hated those metal ramps at Moscow and St. Petersburg train stations where there were no lifts or moving stairs in sight. I was worn out and out of breath by the time I dragged my heavy suitcase to the top.
At least there's lifts now 😊
@@NonstopEurotrip I believe the ramps were an attempt at "Europeanization" at the time... a very much post-soviet affair, trying to get the stations to be classed as "accessible" without spending money non of the post-soviet states had.
with the low platforms, I have a feel most with luggage would cross the tracks just willy-nilly so to speak... at least, certainly that's how it was somewhere like Ukraine Uzbekistan or Georgia... maybe the Scandinavian influence in the Baltic states made things more orderly, don't know.
lifts did exist from the time of construction
but, being old and unkept, they were dirty, would often break down and were generally disliked by the public.
At 7:20 you can see the more convenient and affordable option to make that journey. Still glad there is a train connection again!
Oh well yeah no, don't take a Flixbus, ride LuxExpress!
Hardly 😂
Would you like to ride the Bicol Express in the Philippines once the South Long Haul project is finished?
That's the plan!
What's missing is a train going from Tallinn over Riga to Vilnius, covering all 3 Baltic capitals.
What really is missing is European, democratic Belarus, that would allow the "5 capitals train" from Kyiv to Tallinn.
Did you watch the start of the video?
Well that is being rectified with the construction of the Rail Baltica project. Aka an over 800km long high speed railway linking all 3 countries and their capitals with the rest of Europe, and allowing high speed trains to go at 230-250km/h. While relatively modest for high speed rail, it would absolutely slash journey times by a huge margin, to the point of even eliminating air traffic within the Baltics as people could just take a high speed train to Riga Airport rather than a flight from say Tallinn to Vilnius or Tallinn to Riga. Especially if one would already connect to another flight at Riga.
A meeting between the transport ministers of all 3 countries met up to talk about the creation of such route, but the transport minister of Latvia said that this route ia unnecessary and scrapped the idea
@@drdewott9154Maximum operating speed 234km/h, but I know couple of 40km segments in Lithuania it won't reach 200km/h.
So sorry you had to experience Origo
?
I do enjoy these videos... But you need to publish a track list. This music bed rocked.
Thanks!
In a few years Rail Baltica will be complete
Did you watch the start of the video?
It was buses only when I did this route.
These metal ramps for the luggage are not just "ex-soviet", you see them in Germany (Westgermany) too. 🙂
Predominantly, they're in ex soviet countries
Lovely video friend
Thank you 🤗
You're welcome friend@@NonstopEurotrip
Hello there. Another great video showcasing the greater connectivity of European countries. And a route I am looking forward to trying soon. Quick question Non stop Euro trip, what is the speedometer app that you used in this video? Many thanks.
Thanks! 😃 The app is just called 'GPS speedo'
Thanks for an excellent review. I took this train back in January and I do agree with everything you said in the video. One thing that I find rather odd and problematic is the very early 6:30AM departure from Vilnius. Not everyone would be happy to get up at 4:30-5:00AM to catch a train. It should depart at around 9AM or some other more reasonable time. Ideally there should be at least one more daily train to each direction. It is great that Vilnius-Riga service is finally back. It is a matter of principle to have a proper train connection between neighboring EU countries where rail infrastructure exists. it also seems that the service was a success judging by how difficult it is to book a seat on many days even long in advance.
I agree, hence why I did it the other way round 😂
Idk if it's the low platform or the wide track gauge (or maybe something with the lens) but those trains look MASSIVE.
They use wider gauge from Soviet era. So the trains really are bit bigger
They are pretty big!
The "standard gauge", as used eg in most European countries is 1435 mm. "Russian gauge" is 1520 mm. So the gauge difference is a mere 85 mm.
The loco at 11:14 is a Siemens Eurorunner ER20. While I have no hard evidence for it, it's reasonable to assume the loco (apart from the extra 85 mm of axle width) is identical in size with any ER20 running on standard gauge.
However.. The EMU traveled on in the video is a Skoda 16Ev, which is a variant of the Skoda 7Ev. The 16Ev is described, in the 7Ev article on Wikipedia, as having a "wide carbody".
Any difference in train dimensions like heigh, width or maximum wheight is defined primarily by the loading gauge rather than track gauge. There are a much higher number of loading gauges defined/standardised than there are track gauges, and the loading gauge can vary even within a country. (If you're nerdy enough there is a Wikipedia article on "loading gauge"). Eg for Russian track gauge there is at least eight different loading gauges.
@@davebowman6497 Yeah, I know about loading gauge. For example Sweden has quite a large one, even though it uses standard track gauge. Swedish trains are, from what I've heard, visibly wider than other standard gauge trains, and I think some even have a 3+2 seating layout, although I'm not sure about the last one.
The Baltic trains (I've noticed this about Estonian trains too) seem to be taller and a little wider than other European standard gauge trains, but I haven't seen them in real life, and as I said, it could also be lens distortion.
The first question I ask myself when I hear of a new public transport service, is how frequent does it run? I immediately consulted the European Rail Timetable. Table 1805 shows JUST ONE TRAIN A DAY. And the train from Vilnius to Riga departs at 06 30.
I struggle a bit with transport websites, but when I consulted the Flixbus website and put into the journey planner Vilnius to Riga for Wednesday 26 June, I found five departures spread throughout the day. Journey time was 4 hours 50 minutes, and fares seemed to be in the £11 to £15 range.
I think LTG Link needs more rolling stock for a more frequent service (they're basically pushing the limit with the 730ML trains)
@@DodoGTA Thanks for the information!
It's a start...
Its not much, and its not like the circumstances are in favour of the trains as all the rail investment during the Soviet era had gone into improving the lines into the soviet union going East/West, whereas all the lines going north south internally within the Baltic states were basically branch lines. Thats part of why the development of Rail Baltica high speed line is so critical and important. The new LTG Link service more than anything is just there to work in the interim and get people used to the idea of travelling across the baltics by train.
@@drdewott9154 Thanks. I take all your points.
Soundtrack from the intro (0:27) Running into - Ooyy & STRLGHT
Based on the artist name I'm guessing this is yet another Epidemic Sound song (some TH-camrs secretly use their music library)
@@DodoGTAThe video description says that all music from the video is provided by Epidemic sound
Absolutely 😁
@@NonstopEurotrip Nice choice btw, really liked it!
I know you mostly do europe and asian regions, but maybe you could give Venezuela's Caracas Metro and the Ezequiel Zamora railway a try in a couple years. They're fairly basic but yeah. If you do end up needing help we can get in contact too!
I try to avoid metros, sorry!
Bom dia faz uma boa viagem de trem lindo boa sexta feira ai 2:16
What is the speedometer app you are using?
GPS Speedo
Hi, I would love to be able to do what you do. Travel around the world as part of work. Must be wonderful.
It really is! 😄
Wait so there was no train at all between the two countries? Thats unexpected
Nopee
Eastern Europe sadly is like the Americas
Before COVID there was a route but you would need to transfer.
If you gave a little insight of what routes existed and why they were cancelled and how is this one integrated in old ones and to the new, narrow gauge one.
You mean standard gauge
'Mimosa' drink you had it's actually a non-alkoholic tea drink made by Acala, premium kombucha producer from Lithuania
Mimosa is the flavour
I've noticed bike ramps out/in at stations are the norm in countries like Stockholm and Oslo, never under Soviet rule.
I never said they were just ex soviet
Почему не восстановили поезд "Чайка": Таллинн - Рига - Вильнюс?
No idea
@@NonstopEurotrip Ещё, был такой поезд: Таллинн - Рига - Каунас - Варшава - Берлин!
Definitely better than a bus. But Rail Baltica will half the travel time from 4hrs to 2! So that'll be leagues better when it eventually comes.
As mentioned in the video
Looks a little bit cramped for a first class. But I think it's manageable for a 4h trip
Definitely was 😄
To be fair, the Baltics arent known for high luxury train travel. Standard class in most cases is pretty basic but the Baltics are also known for being quite affordable, even for the people living there.
I rode the train one week ago 😂
Did you have fun?
@@NonstopEurotrip the trip was nice although we didn’t get the free coffee, water and cookie 😅
You should do in the future the full trip from Tallinn to Warsaw.
In a couple of years Rail Baltic will be finished and you could do a comparison.
Especially the trip from Tallinn to Riga is nice.
How about going Mexico to see new opened 'Maya Line'? This is a part of great mexico railway project and I'm looking forward to see mexican railways!
I'm going in 3 weeks ;-)
Have you ever been told off for filming on the train or at the station by train staff or passengers?
Nope
i'd hardly say pram ramps are "ex-soviet"! you'll find those in any european city, especially away from main stations.
I never said they were just ex soviet
Before the Soviet occupation you could take a train from Riga to Paris, the Nord Experss. It's a shame that it's taking so long to restore railway connection to even nearby capitals.
Does anyone know what what is that “track” thing in 3:14? I have noticed that all former USSR countries continue using both “track” and “platform” markings on their departure boards. Also the seats are exactly the same in both 1st and 2 classes on this train. The only thing that is missing is a double arm rest between the two. Also the 1st class passengers used to get a free tea/coffee and some biscuits. Not worth it paying 10 euros more IMHO. Otherwise very comfortable journey.
Each platform has a track either side. Sometimes more if they're long
@@NonstopEurotrip So same as a platform, right?
@@avigdonable a platform can have 2 tracks. E.g.:
Platform 1 - track 1
Platform 2 - tracks 2 & 3
Platform 3 - tracks 4 & 5 etc.
In some cases platforms can have names (by certain directions/sides) and separate track numbers. E. g. in Kozyatyn "1st track of the Kyiv platform" - that is the Kyiv side of the (triangle-like) station.
@@avigdonable nope
@@vovixs.567 what does annoy me though is 'Platform 2, Track 27' etc. 😂
11:05 I believe its pronounced Yon-ish-kiss
I cannot tell from the video (sorry), but does this use Russian gauge or the European standard gauge?
It's 1520
I wish your turkish train videos were voiced since I'm blind and a Turk. Could you change that in the future?
Thank you for showing us what this connection is rail-ly like.
You're welcome 😂😂😂
how about Vilnius to Minsk train? still suspended?
Yeah, no trains running to nazi lands
Thanks especially for this video 👍😀Since I'm having a very special relation to the baltics, esp. LT, esp. Kaunas, I was hoping for some kind of progress in linking Kaunas to the rest of Europe's railway network ....but it looks as if I, as a train enthusiast, will have to take car or plane for some long long time. It doesn't look as if Kaunas will be reachable in a comfy and fast way by train in the near future, right? 😢
Kaunus will be on the Rail Baltica mainline with direct trains to Warsaw, Riga and Tallinn eventually! 🙂
Kaunas is actually the terminus of the original Rail Baltica standard gauge line (there was even a Polregio standard gauge train from Kaunas to Bialystok but the line it had to run on doesn't have electrification or even proper signalling)
You can change to the Vilnius-Riga train in Kaišiadorys (which is reachable with the frequent Vilnius-Kaunas train service)
The lovely host 😜🫢
?
Though I would almost always choose the train over bus to move from point A to B, this route would be an exception. No, not the Flixbus but there is a luxury liner which connects Baltic states. Looks more spacious and comfortable than this train
Edit: I just realised that the bus ride was your video as well 😂
Yes 😂 I still prefer the Train tbh, at least you have a proper toilet and can get up and walk around 💪🏻
Ha berarti selama ini ga ada KA Latvia-Lithuania?
There was a Vilnius-Riga sleeper train until 2004 (I think in the last years the demand for it was low)
There's even one TH-cam video filming its departure (I'm not sure if I can link it because it might flag this comment)
@@DodoGTA there was also a seasonal Riga - Simferopol train (through Vilnius) until September 2007
Pretty much!
Have you guys already seen the Pesa Gama?💩
😂😂
Food is too pricy in Lithuanian trains..
Really?
commeting on every new vid untill he goes on the blue bzmot
Thanks for the engagement!
Bro next journey in Pakistan 😂
th-cam.com/video/6c8mWYt1GJA/w-d-xo.html
Oleg Vasylyev (Zalizni Magistrali channel) reported (th-cam.com/video/j05Ou2zaPyQ/w-d-xo.htmlsi=PVT31uJxueV57_mV)
about the low-quality supply of Škoda products to Latvia.
And the question: is the Riga-Vilnius track in this project Soviet-sized or European-sized?
It's all standard gauge
11:23 the first vectron-inspired front design by Siemens I like. Standard gauge Vectrons are so ugly and look like street trucks to me.
That's actually a Siemens EuroRunner ER20 diesel locomotive (which is a diesel version of the EuroSprinter electric locomotive which itself is a predecessor to the Vectron series)
@@DodoGTA Thank you for the info!! A pity where they went with the design and that it became a hot selling locomotive whilst the Taurus and the American Supercharger versions are able to look decent (great)
как то медленно 348 км за почти 4 с половиной часа, из Москвы в Питер 650км поезд типа Дезиро проезжает за 5часов и 25 минут
Yeah, but this train isn't in Nazi land.
@@NonstopEurotripare you alright? I thought you are just a travel blogger, not another political screamer.
@@NonstopEurotripда да как раз на самой нацистской LT LV EE ))
@@NonstopEurotrip, do you want to say that the movement is better organized in “Nazi” lands than in free European ones? Next time, take off your pants before defecating)))
That project (RailBaltica) is definitely more about freight and military connection.
No, it isn't. Nobody needs 250 km/h on a freight line, high speed tracks could be used for cargo, but they are not optimal for it.
@@piker-pl to keep that line profitable you need as many passengers as are travelling now on intergeman routes. Which is highly unlikely today, of course.
The exact opposite
Not true.
in soviet times it was 10+ a day connections and amazing full service trains, this one is a joke
It got muricanized
Loverly
Thanks Sam!!! 👌🏻