Lithuania - General Information
Country Name
Lithuania (Lietuva)
National Railway System
National Railway Operator
The Passenger Transport Directorate (Keleivių Vežimo Direkcia) is a division of Lietuvos Geležinkeliai.
Language
Lithuanian.
Currency
Euro
UIC code
numeric 24; alpha LT
Timetable
Journey Planner
www.litrail.lt and click on 'Passenger transportation'
Downloadable Timetable
None.
Printed Timetable
A printed timetable is produced, but appears to be for staff use only. Travel centres such as the one at Vilnius offer individual timetables on photocopied sheets.
Engineering Information
None.
Bus Information
The stotis.lt website accesses journey planners for Trains, Buses and Local Transport.
Maps
Printed Maps
- European Railway Atlas by M.G. Ball (2008 onwards)
Web-based Maps
- Thorsten Büker's Map of the Baltic States
- Page 23 of the 2014-2015 Network Statement
Ticketing
There are no known network tickets, but fares are cheap.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure Authority
The Railway Infrastructure Directorate (Geležinkelių Infrastruktūros Direkcia) is a division of Lietuvos Geležinkeliai.
Network Statement
The Network Statement can be accessed from the Railway Infrastructure Directorate.
Gauge
"Russian" gauge (1520mm) except the Panevėžys - Rubikiai line (750mm, partly tourist traffic)
Electrification
25kV 50 Hz
Rule of the road
Most lines are single track, but on double track sections right hand running applies.
Distances
The 2015-2016 Network Statement gives overall distances for lines on pages 19-20 and a network map with ditsances for each station on page 31 (Annex 4).
Other Railways
None.
Tourist Lines
The Panevėžys - Rubikiai 750mm gauge railway.
Metro
None.
Trams
None.
Recent and Future Changes
The Vilnius - Sankt Peterburg (Russia) train will be withdrawn at the end of May 2015. This will remove services over the Turmantas - Daugavpils border crossing.
Passenger services over the (Vilnius -) Oro uostas - Valciunai - Stasylos und Paneriai - Valciunai lines were withdrawn on 1 January 2015. Trains continue to serve Oro uostas (Vilnius airport). On 3 August 2011 services to Stasylos were extended 4.2 km southwards to a new station 1.3 km north of the former Šalčininkai halt and 5.5 km from the Belarus border on the line to Ліда / Lida. This new station was also named Stasylos, the old station being renamed Senosios Stasylos. On 5 December 2011 Stasylos became a new border station. It was intended that cross border passenger traffic would resume, but this seems most unlikely as at 2015 owing to the tension between the EU and Russia. Services between Stasylos and Benjakonī (Belarus) ceased on 19 September 2008 when the summer-only Vilnius - Simferopol’ train pair stopped running.
Palemonas to Gaižiūnai has lost and regained its single train pair more than once. As at January 2015 a service is running.
Services from Klaipēda to Šilutė were discontinued from 29 May 2011
Through Vilnius - Druskininkai LG trains and the Vilnius - Warszawa overnight service, both via Parėččė (Belarus), ceased in 2001, resulting in withdrawal of all trains south of Marcinkonys.
Regular services over the Panevėžys - Anykščiai narrow gauge line ceased from 25 March 2001.
Since late 1998 the following lines have lost their passenger service:
- Jonaitiškai – Kutiškiai
- [Šiauliai -] Mankiškai - Jonaitiškai - Tauragė - Pagėgiai - Šilutė - Klaipēda (Klaipēda - Šilutė subsequently reopened but has since closed again)
- Švenčionėliai - Utena
- Šeštokai - Alytus
- [Klaipēda -] Kretinga - Skuodas
- [Vilnius -] Paneriai - Valičiūniai (but has subsequently reopened)
Special notes
None.