New Riga Central Station to be completed this year, trains will run only after several years

Construction of the new southern wing of Riga Central Station is nearing completion, with all major building work expected to be finished by the end of this year. However, passengers will not be able to fully use the new infrastructure until mid-2028, when the first trains are scheduled to be rerouted to the new platforms.

So far, the facade and roof—featuring approximately 1,500 square meters of glass—have been completed, along with the main work on three new platforms. Before train services can begin, the necessary railway infrastructure—including tracks, signaling systems, and overhead contact lines—must still be installed.

The Ministry of Transport states that funding for these works is secured, so construction will continue without interruption after the building is finished. Initially, the new station section will serve existing electric trains, until the 'Rail Baltica' project and European gauge tracks are introduced. The old, northern part of the station will mainly handle diesel trains.

No major renovations are planned for the old station area; only regular maintenance will be carried out. Because full funding for the entire project is currently lacking, some already-built infrastructure will have to be mothballed at the state's expense. The Ministry of Transport estimates this could cost several million euros.

Until trains start running on the new platforms, authorities are considering using the completed station building for public purposes, such as hosting exhibitions and other events.