Transport in Latvia

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

Road system

File:A10Latvia.jpg

A10 near Rīga

File:Дорога Рига - Бауска Road Riga - Bauska.jpg

A7 near Iecava

File: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

See also: List of National Roads in Latvia

Number	E-road	Route	Length (km)
File:A1-LV.svg A1	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rīga - Ainaži (EE border)	101
File:A2-LV.svg A2	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rīga - Sigulda - Veclaicene (EE border)	196
File:A3-LV.svg A3	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Inčukalns - Valmiera - Valka (EE border)	101
File:A4-LV.svg A4	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rīga ring road (Baltezers - Saulkalne)	20
File:A5-LV.svg A5	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rīga ring road (Salaspils - Babīte)	40
File:A6-LV.svg A6	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rīga - Daugavpils - Krāslava - Pāternieki (BY border)	307
File:A7-LV.svg A7	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rīga - Bauska - Grenctāle (LT border)	85
File:A8-LV.svg A8	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rīga - Jelgava - Meitene (LT border)	76
File:A9-LV.svg A9		Rīga - Skulte - Liepāja	199
File:A10-LV.svg A10	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rīga - Ventspils	190
File:A11-LV.svg A11		Liepāja - Rucava (LT border)	57
File:A12-LV.svg A12	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Jēkabpils - Rēzekne - Ludza - Terehova (RU border)	166
File:A13-LV.svg A13	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Grebņeva (RU border) - Rēzekne - Daugavpils - Medumi (LT border)	163
File:A14-LV.svg A14	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Daugavpils ring road (Tilti - Kalkūne)	15
File:A15-LV.svg A15	Module:Jct error: Invalid route type	Rēzekne ring road	7

Length of the road system

Roads	Paved, km	Unpaved, km	Total, km
State-owned roads
Highways (A)	1651.1	-	1651.1
Regional roads (P)	4189.9	1127.5	5317.4
Local roads (V)	2616.7	10533.4	13150.1
Municipality-owned roads
Roads	1055.6	29593.5	30649.1
Streets	4588.2	3446.4	8034.6
Other roads
Forest roads	-	10142	10142
Private house roads	500	3000	3500
Total	14601.5	57842.8	72444.3

Railways

File:Jelgava railway station.jpg

Jelgava railway station

File:16-08-30-Babīte railway station-RR2 3647.jpg

One of RVR ER2T trainsets operated by Pasažieru Vilciens

Main article: Rail transport in Latvia

See also: Latvijas dzelzceļš

Latvian Railways is the main state-owned railway company in Latvia. It's 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 Template:RailGauge gauge (270 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 33 km Template:RailGauge gauge (2002)

Passenger rail

Main article: Vivi (rail transit)

Vivi is the only passenger-carrying operator in Latvia.

Domestic passenger lines with current service are:

• Torņakalns – Tukums II Railway
• Riga – Jelgava Railway
• Jelgava – Liepāja Railway
• Riga – Daugavpils Railway
• Krustpils – Rēzekne – Zilupe (border of Russia)
• Rīga – Sigulda – Cēsis – Valmiera – Valga (border of Estonia)
• Zemitāni – Skulte Railway
• Pļaviņas – Gulbene

Rail links with adjacent countries

• Russia - yes
• Lithuania - yes
• Belarus - yes
• Estonia - yes

Airports

Main article: List of airports in Latvia

File: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 runways total: 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 runways total: 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

File:Ventspils osta.jpg

Port of Ventspils is the busiest port in the Baltic states

File: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.

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 Template:GT or over) totaling Template:GT/Template: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

External links

• History of railroad construction in Latvia
• Ministry of Transport of Republic of Latvia
• Transport in Latvia