Latvia to build €264 million rail link between Riga airport and city centre
Latvia plans to build a rail section between Riga Airport and Riga Central Station at a cost of €264 million. The line will initially connect to the existing 1520 mm network, so Rail Baltica passengers from Estonia and Lithuania will need to change trains to reach the airport.
Latvia is to build a rail connection between Riga International Airport and the city's central station. The total cost of the project is €264,176,808, and the work is due to be completed by 31 December 2029, ahead of the finish of Rail Baltica, the European-gauge main line linking the three Baltic states.
What the project involves
A section of track with a 1520 mm gauge will be built from the Rail Baltica station at Riga Airport to the Imanta stop. This is the same gauge as the existing rail network, historically known as the Russian gauge. The main Rail Baltica line uses a 1435 mm gauge.
The existing railway will also be modernised between Imanta and Riga Central Station, and between the central station and Ogre. Next to the Rail Baltica station at the airport, the necessary passenger infrastructure will be created, along with the conditions for running trains. A shuttle train will run in both directions between the airport and the city centre.
Changing trains will be necessary
In the first stage, the new branch will be connected to the existing 1520 mm network, which is meant to provide modern passenger service between the airport and the centre. The plan is to link this line to the Rail Baltica main line later. As LSM notes, because of the separate 1520 mm shuttle line, passengers arriving from Estonia and Lithuania on Rail Baltica trains will have to change trains to reach the airport.
Funding
Of the total cost, €224,550,286 will come from the European Union's Cohesion Fund and €39,626,522 from Latvia's state budget. Under the latest agreement, the Rail Baltica main line, which will cross all three Baltic countries, is to be ready in 2034.
