Transport in Latvia

Last updated

This article provides an overview of the transport infrastructure of Latvia.

Contents

Road system

A10 near Riga A10Latvia.jpg
A10 near Rīga
A7 near Iecava Doroga Riga - Bauska Road Riga - Bauska.jpg
A7 near Iecava
A9 near Skrunda A9-Latvia.jpg
A9 near Skrunda

It is mandatory to keep headlights on while driving, even in daylight; most cars commercially sold in Latvia are equipped to make this automatic.

Highways

Number E-road RouteLength (km)
A1-LV.svg A1 Tabliczka E67.svg E67 Rīga - Ainaži (EE border)101
A2-LV.svg A2 Tabliczka E77.svg E77 Rīga - Sigulda - Veclaicene (EE border)196
A3-LV.svg A3 Tabliczka E264.svg E264 Inčukalns - Valmiera - Valka (EE border)101
A4-LV.svg A4 Tabliczka E67.svg E67 Tabliczka E77.svg E77 Rīga ring road (Baltezers - Saulkalne)20
A5-LV.svg A5 Tabliczka E67.svg E67 Tabliczka E77.svg E77 Rīga ring road (Salaspils - Babīte)40
A6-LV.svg A6 Tabliczka E22.svg E22 Tabliczka E262.svg E262 Rīga - Daugavpils - Krāslava - Pāternieki (BY border)307
A7-LV.svg A7 Tabliczka E67.svg E67 Rīga - Bauska - Grenctāle (LT border)85
A8-LV.svg A8 Tabliczka E77.svg E77 Rīga - Jelgava - Meitene (LT border)76
A9-LV.svg A9 Rīga - Skulte - Liepāja 199
A10-LV.svg A10 Tabliczka E22.svg E22 Rīga - Ventspils 190
A11-LV.svg A11 Liepāja - Rucava (LT border)57
A12-LV.svg A12 Tabliczka E22.svg E22 Tabliczka E262.svg E262 Jēkabpils - Rēzekne - Ludza - Terehova (RU border)166
A13-LV.svg A13 Tabliczka E262.svg E262 Grebņeva (RU border) - Rēzekne - Daugavpils - Medumi (LT border)163
A14-LV.svg A14 Tabliczka E262.svg E262 Daugavpils ring road (Tilti - Kalkūne)15
A15-LV.svg A15 Tabliczka E262.svg E262 Rēzekne ring road7

Length of the road system

RoadsPaved, kmUnpaved, kmTotal, km
State-owned roads
Highways (A)1651.1-1651.1
Regional roads (P)4189.91127.55317.4
Local roads (V)2616.710533.413150.1
Municipality-owned roads
Roads1055.629593.530649.1
Streets4588.23446.48034.6
Other roads
Forest roads-1014210142
Private house roads50030003500
Total14601.557842.872444.3

Railways

Jelgava railway station Jelgava railway station.jpg
Jelgava railway station
One of RVR ER2T trainsets operated by Pasazieru Vilciens ER2T-7113 Lielupes stacija 2.JPG
One of RVR ER2T trainsets operated by Pasažieru Vilciens

Latvian Railways is the main state-owned railway company in Latvia. Its daughter companies both carry out passengers services as well as carry a large quantity of freight cargo, and freight trains operate over the whole current passenger network, and a number of lines currently closed to passenger services.

There is also a narrow gauge railway between Gulbene and Aluksne, operated by the Industrial Heritage Trust, using Russian and Polish built heritage rolling stock. Three narrow gauge trains a day operate on the 33 km route between the two towns.


total: 2,347 km
Russian gauge: 2,314 km 1,520 mm (4 ft 11+2732 in) gauge (270 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 33 km 750 mm (2 ft 5+12 in) gauge (2002)

Passenger rail

Vivi is the only passenger-carrying operator in Latvia.

Domestic passenger lines with current service are:

Airports

airBaltic Boeing 757-200WL take-off at Riga International Airport AirBaltic Boeing 757-200 at RIX.jpg
airBaltic Boeing 757−200WL take-off at Riga International Airport

Riga International Airport is the only major airport in Latvia, carrying around 5 million passengers annually. It is the largest airport in the Baltic states and has direct flights to over 80 destinations in 30 countries. It is also the main hub of airBaltic.

In the recent years airBaltic also operated from Liepāja International Airport as well as Ventspils International Airport but operations in both of these airports were ceased until 2017, when airBaltic relaunched flights from Riga to Liepaja.

Currently there are plans for further development in several regional airports, including Jūrmala Airport, Liepāja, Ventspils as well as Daugavpils International Airport.

Airfields

As of 2003, there were a total of 51 airfields in Latvia, with 27 of them having paved runways.

Airports - with paved runwaystotal: 27
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 16 (2003)

Airports - with unpaved runwaystotal: 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,523 to 2,438 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 20 (2003)

Ports and harbors

Port of Ventspils is the busiest port in the Baltic states Ventspils osta.jpg
Port of Ventspils is the busiest port in the Baltic states
Riga Passenger Terminal Cruceros en el muelle de Riga, Letonia, 2012-08-07, DD 01.JPG
Riga Passenger Terminal

Key ports are located in Riga (Freeport of Riga and Riga Passenger Terminal), Ventspils (Free port of Ventspils), and Liepāja (Port of Liepāja). Most transit traffic uses these and half the cargo is crude oil and oil products. [1]

Waterways

300 km (perennially navigable)

Pipelines

crude oil 412 km; refined products 421 km; natural gas 1,097 km (2003)

Merchant marine


total: 11 ships (with a volume of 1,000  gross tonnage  (GT) or over) totaling 53,153  GT/37,414 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1, Greece 1, Ukraine 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: cargo ship 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off ship 1, short-sea/passenger 1

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References

  1. Latvia, World Bank