Lithuania Launches Service With New Swiss-Made Stadler Trains
Lithuanian rail passenger operator LTG Link began commercial service on Thursday with new Stadler Flirt trains. The first one ran from Vilnius to Kaunas, with more routes to follow by year-end.
LTG Link, the passenger arm of Lithuania's state railway group Lietuvos geležinkeliai, started commercial operations on Thursday with new Stadler Flirt trains built by the Swiss manufacturer Stadler. The first of 15 ordered trains left Vilnius for Kaunas, the country's two largest cities.
Prime Minister Mindaugs Sinkevičs said the trains mark the start of a new stage for transport in Lithuania. In his view, modern trains and a better travel experience could encourage sustainable travel and make rail a viable alternative to the car, though this requires quality infrastructure.
Routes and timelines
Initially the trains will run between Vilnius and Kaunas, and temporarily between Vilnius and Trakai, until electrification of the Vilnius–Klaipėda line is completed. Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said more and more people choose trains over cars. Once the electrification project finishes in November, the trains will serve the Klaipėda route, with a goal of cutting journey time to under four hours.
LTG Link plans to introduce battery-powered trains in December on the Kaunas–Šiauliai and Radviliškis–Klaipėda routes, and later that month on Vilnius–Varėna (Marcinkonys).
Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas stressed the role of rail in military mobility, including moving allied troops, among them German and US soldiers, to Lithuania.
Prices and capacity
Arūnas Rumskas, acting head of LTG Link, noted that a 50% ticket discount is in place until the end of the year because of higher fuel prices. Initially the Vilnius–Kaunas trip will take about eight minutes longer because of repairs to the overhead contact line.
Trains can be coupled into sets of up to three, carrying up to 600 passengers. Lithuania has received 13 of the 15 trains: seven electric units with 200 seats and six battery units with 128 seats. The €226.5 million contract was signed in June 2023 and includes maintenance and spare parts until 2037.
