Travel by train in Latvia is a good choice if you want to explore the Riga area – suburban trains run frequently and are inexpensive. It’s easy to get to Jurmala and Sigulda by train, but on other routes the trains run rarely and the bus is often a better choice. In small cities and villages railway stations are often located far from the center of villages or towns and buses are cheaper and run more frequent than trains. Some of trains aren’t equipped with toilets. There are very few long-distance trains.
Last updated: 15.02.2023
On 15.12.2023 new electric multiple were put into operation. The new trains, produced by Škoda Group, significantly improved passenger services on routes from Riga to Tukums, Jelgava and Ogre and Skulte. Each electric train consists four carriages. One electric train is 109 metres long and has 436 seats. The trains have single-level boarding for passengers from the platforms and are equipped with air conditioning, ergonomic seats and vacuum toilet. Trains will replace old RVR electric multiple units.
Train travel in Latvia – domestic trains
Travelling by train in Latvia is easy – there are only a few routes from Riga. You can easily travel to Jurmala, Jelgava, Sigulda or Cesis. If you need, you can buy one-day ticket for a specific route. There is a discount for online tickets.
Pasazieru vilciens – train timetable + e-shop
Latvian Railways runs regular trains between the following cities:
Riga – Jelgava (once a day extended to Dobele and Liepaja)
Riga – Ogre – Rezekne – Zilupe (most trains only go to Aizkraukle)
Riga – Jurmala – Tukums
Riga – Sigulda (twice daily extended to Valga)
Riga – Daugavpils (extended to Kraslava)
Moreover, on selected weekends there are trains to Gulbene, where tourists can change to the trains of Gulbene-Aluksne narrow-gauge railway. I do not write when these trains run, because from time to time railway connection is restored, then canceled and so on. At the time of the update, the Riga–Gulbene train was only launched at the beginning of September. You can check it on the Latvian railways website.
Once a year you can travel by train Riga – Aglona to sanctuary.
From August 1, 2023, Riga-Liepāja trains run daily – departure from Liepāja at 5:00, return train in the afternoon. An additional train runs twice a week. The connection is unsuitable for tourists.
There are no passenger trains to Ventspils, the last train station with passenger service on this line is Tukums. In recent years, the only train that reached Ventspils was a special train for railway enthusiasts with a trip organized by Far Rail. There are no plans to reinstate the Riga – Ventspils passenger service.
Passenger trains do not run on the Tukums II – Jelgava railway line.
Additional information for travel by train in Latvia:
– the most popular route among tourists is Riga – Jurmala. There are several train stations in Jurmala. The closest station to the beach and the city center is Mayori station, on the Internet you can see a lot of nice photos taken of trains entering or leaving the station.
– trains are punctual, but this should not be surprising because their routes are very short.
– some trains do not have toilets. On routes served by diesel multiple units, there are vehicles without toilets, as well as trains with one toilet. There is no rule.
Train travel in Latvia – international trains
Latvia has an international connections with all adjacent countries, but there is only a few international passenger trains.
Belarus
There was a summer train from Minsk to Riga, very popular train among Belarusians going on holiday to Jurmala. It ran twice a week. Train was suspended due to pandemic and was not reinstated due to war.
Estonia
Two trains daily in each direction run from Riga to divided city of Valga/Valga. Railway station is on Estonian side. Usually one of this trains is connected with Estonian train from Valga to Tallin through Tartu. You need to buy two separate tickets for route Riga – Valga and Valga – Tallin.
Check the timetable before your journey:
pv.lv – Latvian timetable
elron.ee – Estonian timetable.
There are plans to launch a new train between Riga and Tartu in 2024.
Lithuania
On 27 December 2023 will start direct train from Vilnius to Riga. Train will stops in Siauliai and Jelgava. Train will departs from Vilnius in the morning and from Riga to Vilnius in the afternoon.
The weekend train from Daugavpils to Vilnius was ceased.
bilietas.ltglink.lt – timetable, prices and online shop
Russia
Train Latvijas Express from Riga to Moscow and Sankt Petersburg was suspended after Russian invasion on Ukraine. Currently, there are no trains from Latvia to Russia.
Gulbene – Aluksne narrow gauge railway
Travel by train in Latvia it’s not only about Latvian Railways. There are two passenger narrow-gauge railways in Latvia. The Gulbene – Aluksne narrow-gauge railway is popular among tourists.
Currently trains run on the Gulbene – Alūksne section all year round, twice a day. Special trains are also launched on various occasions. The route is 33 kilometers long and the journey takes one hour and 25 minutes. The trains are very slow, the maximum speed is 40 km/h. Along the way, the train passes 8 intermediate stations, 6 of which are request stops.
The trains are usually composed of a diesel locomotive and historic wagons, including the Polish PAFAWAG wagons. This carriage is not very popular because there are hard wooden benches.
The Gulbene – Alūksne narrow-gauge railway is a very interesting tourist attraction. In the summer season, operator prepare additional attractions, such as a train robbery. There is also a souvenir shop open all year round. The only problem is getting there from Riga.
www.banitis.lv – timetable, prices, additional information
Narrow gauge railway in Ventspils
The second Latvian narrow gauge passenger railway is located in Ventspils and is more of a park railway operating seasonally. The Ventspils narrow-gauge railway has been operating since 1916 and was built by the Germans as part of the former narrow-gauge railway network connecting Ventspils with fishing villages along the Baltic Sea coast. It is known as “Mazbānītis”
There are two narrow gauge railway lines in operation in the city park area – a 1.4 km long circle line (Rinka linija) and a 3 km long line, also called the “mountain line” (Kalna linija). The first one connects the seaside promenade with the open-air museum, the second one leads to the amusement park. The train travels very slowly, the journey takes 10-15 minutes. The train consists of a steam or diesel locomotive, second- and third-class carriages and an open carriage,
The trains run on selected days of the week from May 1 to October 30. Tickets are cheap, there are discounts for families and pensioners.
