Rail transport in Lithuania consists of freight shipments and

passenger services A train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by l ...

. The construction of the first railway line in

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

began in 1859. , the total length of railways in Lithuania was . LTG Group (''Lietuvos Geležinkeliai''), the national state-owned railway company, operates most of the country's passenger and freight services via its subsidiaries '' LTG Link'' (passenger) and ''LTG Cargo'' (freight). The country has a mixed

gauge Gauge ( ) may refer to: Measurement * Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments * Gauge (firearms) * Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire ** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, especia ...

network: the majority is

broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , more known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union countries ...

(a legacy of the Russian standard) with new lines often using

standard gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...

dual gauge Dual gauge railroad track has three or four rails, allowing vehicles of two track gauges to run on it. Signalling and sidings are more expensive to install on dual gauge tracks than on two single gauge tracks. Dual gauge is used when there i ...

track. In 2020, Lithuania together with the other

Baltic states The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

began construction of the

Rail Baltica Rail Baltica is an under-construction rail infrastructure project that is intended to integrate the Baltic states in the European rail network. Its purpose is to provide passenger and freight service between participating countries and improve ra ...

high-speed rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...

with operating speed of 249 km/h for the passenger trains. The project marks a new era for Lithuanian railways and is expected to be completed by 2030. Lithuania is a member of the

Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail The Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF , from ; '), is an intergovernmental organisation that governs international rail transport. As of 2019, 51 European, African, and Near Eastern states are members of OTI ...

(OTIF) and

International Union of Railways The International Union of Railways (, UIC) is an international rail transport industry body based in Paris. History The railways of Europe had originated during the nineteenth century as many separate concerns across numerous nations; this le ...

(UIC). The

UIC Country Code The UIC Country Code is a two digit-number identifying countries in which members of the International Union of Railways (UIC) are active. The UIC has issued numbering systems for rolling stock ( UIC wagon numbers) and stations that include the co ...

for Lithuania is 24. As an EU member, the country participates in the

European Union Agency for Railways The European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) that sets mandatory requirements for European railways and manufacturers in the form of Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSI), which apply to the ...

. It is also a member of

Interrail The Interrail Pass is a rail pass available to European citizens and residents. Citizens of other countries residing outside Europe may purchase the Eurail Pass instead. Types of Interrail Pass include the Interrail Global Pass and the Interrail ...

and

Eurail The Eurail Pass, introduced in 1959 and formerly known as Europass or Eurorail Pass, is a rail pass which permits travel through 33 European countries on nearly all railroads and several shipping lines. The Eurail Group, based in Utrecht, is re ...

. Lithuania was ranked 16th among national European rail systems in the European Railway Performance Index 2017 assessing intensity of use, quality of service and safety.

History

In 1851, the government of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

decided to build the

Saint Petersburg–Warsaw railway In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Anglican, Oriental Ortho ...

. The construction of the railway in Lithuania began in 1859 and the line included

Daugavpils Daugavpils (see also other names) is a state city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city derives its name. The parts of the city to the north of the river belong to the historical Latvian region ...

–

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

–

Grodno Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman, Neman River, from Minsk, about from the Belarus–Poland border, border with Poland, and from the Belarus–Lithua ...

and

Lentvaris Lentvaris (; ) is a city in eastern Lithuania, 9 km east of Trakai. It is a transportation hub, as several road and rail routes cross here. Lake Lentvaris is nearby. History The town is situated in ethnographically Baltic Lithuanian ...

–

Kaunas Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

– Virbalis sections which were completed in 1862. The first train arrived from

(in

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

) to Vilnius on 17 September 1860. However, the first commercial operation began between Kaunas temporary station on the left bank of the river Nemunas and Eydtkuhnen in

East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...

on 11 April 1861. Initially, there were 21 Lithuanian stations. Building of the railway required different engineering solutions, including the construction of

Kaunas Railway Tunnel Kaunas railway tunnel () is one of the two railway tunnels existing in Lithuania and the only railway tunnel operating in the Baltic states. Passenger trains are operating between Vilnius and Kaunas through this tunnel. The length of the tunnel ...

and Paneriai Tunnel. The greatest expansion of the railway happened during 1857–1914 when nearly two thirds of the network, used at the end of 20th century, was constructed. The railway construction had a significant impact to the economic development of the region. When the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

occupied Lithuania in 1915, the railway became the main way to supply food and ammunition for the German army. During this time, Germans replaced a lot of the 1524 mm gauge railways track with the 1435 mm standard gauge. In various parts of the country, the German army also constructed 600 mm gauge tracks. Lithuanian independence was restored in 1918 and the Lithuanian government concluded an agreement with

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

on 4 July 1919 on the handover of the railway assets to the

Ministry of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government a ...

. During the years after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Lithuanian Railways reconstructed the tracks, connecting them into a complete network. In 1923 the

Klaipėda region The Klaipėda Region () or Memel Territory ( or ''Memelgebiet'') was defined by the 1919 Treaty of Versailles in 1920 and refers to the northernmost part of the German province of East Prussia, when, as Memelland, it was put under the administr ...

was reunited with Lithuania and the port of

Klaipėda Klaipėda ( ; ) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. It is the List of cities in Lithuania, third-largest city in Lithuania, the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, fifth-largest city in the Baltic States, and the capi ...

became a part of the Lithuanian railway system. The

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

was marked by the expansion of the narrow gauge railways which contributed to the economic development of the

rural areas In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically descri ...

, especially in the north-eastern Lithuania. In 1940, following the

Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into three differe ...

, railway activities were reorganized and all agreements concluded by Lithuania with neighbouring countries terminated. Soviets changed most of the network from the standard gauge to broad gauge. The railway gauge was again changed by Nazi occupying force in 1941 and then once again changed back by the Soviets in 1944. After the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the railway network required significant repairs. The Soviets also replaced a lot of the narrow gauge railway with the broad gauge and, in fact, completely dismantled of it. During the Soviet occupation all railways in the

were managed from

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

. The first electric train began service on 29 December 1975 after the electrification of the

–

line. Following the independence restoration in 1991, Lithuania restored its membership in international rail transport organizations, established national railway company Lietuvos geležinkeliai AB and began gradual modernization of its railway network. In 2000s, that included speed improvements (up to 160 km/h — passenger trains, 120 km/h — freight trains), modern communication and safety systems (

GSM-R GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), it is use ...

and

ERTMS The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) is the system of standards for management and interoperation of signalling for railways by the European Union (EU). It is conducted by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and is the o ...

), new trains and locomotives (manufactured by

Siemens AG Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational technology conglomerate. It is focused on industrial automation, building automation, rail transport and health technology. Siemens is the largest engineering company in Europe, and holds the posit ...

, Pesa,

Škoda Škoda means "pity" in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to: Czech brands and enterprises * Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav ** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto responsi ...

). In 2020, the construction of the high-speed

began. File:Kaunas_Railway_Tunnel.jpg, Construction of

, 19th century File:Vilnia,_Vakzalnaja,_Čyhunačnaja._Вільня,_Вакзальная,_Чыгуначная_(1920).jpg,

Vilnius railway station Vilnius Central Railway Station () is an LTG Link train station in Vilnius, Lithuania. The railway station situates between two neighbourhoods of Vilnius — Naujininkai and Naujamiestis — and on the edge of the Old Town. History The statio ...

in 1920 File:Hat of watchman of Lithuanian railway station with Vytis (Waykimas), 1937.jpg, The hat of a watchman of a Lithuanian railway station in 1937 File:Klaipedas dzelzceļa stacija - panoramio.jpg, L-1160 steam locomotive in Klaipėda railway station

Trams

In late 19th and early 20th centuries, some Lithuanian cities used the

wagonway A wagonway (or waggonway; also known as a horse-drawn railway, or horse-drawn railroad) was a method of rail transport, railway transportation that preceded the steam locomotive and used horses to haul wagons. The terms plateway and tramway (indu ...

s i.e.

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

s pulled by horses which were colloquially called "konkė".

had one wagonway line from 1892 until 1929.

had three wagonway lines from 1893 to 1925 using the

metre-gauge railway Metre-gauge railways ( US: meter-gauge railways) are narrow-gauge railways with track gauge of or 1 metre. Metre gauge is used in around of tracks around the world. It was used by several European colonial powers including France, Britain and ...

. The wagonways lost popularity due to the emergence of buses and cars. Vilnius, however, briefly had a diesel tramway with a sole line between 1924 and 1926 and Kaunas had a narrow gauge passenger line of steam tramway, called ''kukushka'' before 1935. During the interwar period there were plans to revive electric tramways both in Vilnius and Kaunas, but they never materialized.

, on the other hand, had an electric tramway with 2 active lines from 1904 to 1934. It was revived again in 1950 but due to the lack of popularity closed in 1967.

Services

LTG-Link-Vilnius-Kaunas-EJ575-inside-Sep-2021

National state-owned railway company Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (LTG) provides most of the rail services through its subsidiary companies: LTG Link provides passenger services, while LTG Cargo provides freight service. Another subsidiary, LTG Infra, is responsible for the maintenance and development of the infrastructure.

Passenger transport

Main lines: * Vilnius—Kaunas, , first built in 1862, electrified in 1975. The fastest train takes 69 minutes, but following the Rail Baltica project completion, the travel time will be reduced to 38 minutes. * Vilnius—Klaipėda, , part of the line first built in 1870, electrification currently in progress. International lines: * Vilnius—

, , available since late 2023 and takes 4 hours 15 minutes. * Vilnius—

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

— Krakow, available since late 2022. Indirect route due to change of gauge at Polish border, transfer from LTG Link train to

PKP Intercity PKP Intercity is the subsidiary of the PKP Group responsible for long-distance rail passenger transport in Poland. It operates around 350 trains daily, connecting large agglomerations and smaller towns in Poland. It offers its services under ...

Mockava Mockava is a village in Lithuania six km from the border with Poland. The Mockava Railway Station is located northeast of Mockava in the village of . According to the 2011 census, the population of Mockava was 59. Transport The Rail Baltica p ...

. Vilnius—Warsaw travel time around 9 hours. Vilnius—

—

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

passenger train route is technically possible, but currently not practical due to limited speeds and long travel times. These routes will start following the completion of the Rail Baltica project. The old fleet of passenger trains included the ER9M electric train; D1, DR1A/DR1AM and AR2 diesel multiple units; TEP60/ TEP70/TEP70BS and M62/ 2M62/ 2M62U diesel locomotives. Some are still in service, but the vast majority are retired. , the main passenger train models include Škoda EJ575 (electric) and diesel Pesa 620M/630M/730ML as well as some RA2 trains. A public procurement was launched in 2021 to replace all diesel passenger trains with a fleet of new electric trains. In 2023, LTG Link signed a contract with the Swiss

Stadler Rail Stadler Rail AG is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an original emphasis on regional train multiple units and trams, but moving also into Rapid transit, mass rapid transit, High-speed rail, high speed, Inter-city rail, interci ...

company for a delivery of 15 new

Stadler FLIRT Stadler FLIRT (, ) is a passenger multiple unit trainset made by Stadler Rail of Switzerland. The baseline design of FLIRT is an electric multiple unit Articulated car, articulated trainset that can come in units of two to twelve cars with two t ...

electric and battery-electric trains. The contract also provides an option for another 39 trains.

Freight transport

, Lithuania has three intermodal terminals: * Kaunas Intermodal Terminal with annual capacity of 102,000 TEU and

railway; * Vilnius Intermodal Terminal, 102,000 TEU, broad gauge railway only; * Šeštokai Intermodal Terminal, 25,000 TEU, dual gauge. LTG Cargo company provides freight transportation corridors for or between the following regions: * Western/Northern Europe and Lithuania, primarily Kaunas Intermodal Terminal. Currently, there are regular Kaunas–

Tilburg Tilburg () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. With a population of 22 ...

(

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

) and Kaunas–

Kaldenkirchen Kaldenkirchen () is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, situated close to the Dutch border at Venlo. It is part of the municipality of Nettetal. History The earliest reference to “Caldenkirken” appears in a document dated 1206. ...

(

) freight trains. * All three

with a corridor from/to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. "Amber Train" project currently provides Kaunas–Riga–Tallinn (Muuga) service. LTG Cargo Polska (subsidiary in Poland) offers transportation from

Šeštokai Šeštokai is a small town in southern Lithuania. Infrastructure The town is a transport hub as it hosts Šeštokai Intermodal freight transport, Intermodal Terminal and has dual gauge track as well as break-of-gauge for the Standard gauge, 143 ...

near the Polish border. * The

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

region (primarily

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

) and the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

region, primarily

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

and

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

, via

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. "Viking Train" and "Baltic Ukraine Shuttle" are the international projects which enable Klaipėda–Minsk–Kyiv–Odesa transportation corridor between the

Port of Klaipėda The Port of Klaipėda () is a seaport located in Klaipėda, Lithuania. It is one of the few ice-free ports in northernmost Europe. It serves as a port of call for cruise ships as well as freight transport. Regular cargo and passenger ferry lines c ...

and the Port of Odesa. * The EU market, as Lithuania is a member, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

via the

CIS countries The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional intergovernmental organization in Eurasia. It was formed following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It covers an area of and has an estimated population of 246,200,194. ...

. Lithuania aims to expand its involvement in the New Silk Road and become one of the transport hubs. However, due to strained political relations, the expansion remains uncertain. LTG Cargo primarily uses Siemens ER20 "Eurorunner" locomotives for the freight trains.

Network

, there is a total of of railways: * Single-track — (of which electrified) *

Double-track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most lin ...

— (of which electrified) * Triple-track — * Total electrified — Length by track gauge: * ''broad gauge'' — * ''standard gauge'' — * ''narrow gauge'' — Line between

and

uses

supporting both the broad and standard gauge.

Electrification

Lithuania uses 25 kV 50 Hz AC for the electrified railway lines. This will remain compatible with the technical requirements for the

high-speed rail. The electrification was first implemented in 1975 for the Vilnius–Kaunas line. This was followed by the electrification of Vilnius–

Naujoji Vilnia Naujoji Vilnia is an eldership in eastern Vilnius, Lithuania situated along the banks of the Vilnia River. According to the 2011 census, the district had a population of 31,933. This figure grew to 36,507 in 2021, when the newest census was perf ...

, Vilnius–

Trakai Trakai (; see Trakai#Names and etymology, names section for alternative and historic names) is a city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania or just from the administrative limits of the Lithuanian capi ...

lines and, since 2017, Vilnius–

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

line. , only 10% of the railways in Lithuania are electrified, but major electrification projects are in progress with the intention of achieving 50%. In 2019, a joint consortium of Spanish companies Elecnor and

Abengoa Abengoa, S.A. was a Spanish multinational company in the green infrastructure, energy and water sectors. The company was founded in 1941 by Javier Benjumea Puigcerver and José Manuel Abaurre Fernández-Pasalagua, and was based in Seville, Spain. ...

was awarded a contract to carry out electrification of of railway. In October 2022, a contract was awarded to

ABB ABB Group is a Swedish-Swiss multinational electrical engineering corporation. Incorporated in Switzerland as ABB Ltd., and headquartered in Zurich, it is dual-listed on the Nasdaq Nordic exchange in Stockholm, Sweden, and the SIX Swiss Excha ...

to supply 25kV AC electrification system. It primarily includes the electrification of the Vilnius–Klaipėda line and a bypass rail around Vilnius. In 2020, LTG set itself a long-term goal of achieving zero emissions by 2030. In 2021, LTG Link announced the public procurement to acquire 30 electric trains in order to replace the existing diesel fleet. In June 2023, LTG Link ordered 15

FLIRT Flirting or coquetry is a social and sexual behavior involving body language, or spoken or written communication between humans. It is used to suggest interest in a deeper relationship with another person and for amusement. Flirting can change ...

multiple-units and plans to procure up to 13 additional Flirt inter-city

EMUs Emus may refer to: * Emu The emu (; ''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is a species of flightless bird endemism, endemic to Australia, where it is the Tallest extant birds, tallest native bird. It is the only extant taxon, extant member of the ...

, 15

battery-electric A battery electric vehicle (BEV), pure electric vehicle, only-electric vehicle, fully electric vehicle or all-electric vehicle is a type of electric vehicle (EV) that uses electrical energy exclusively from an on-board battery pack to power ...

Flirt trains with a 100km range and 11 battery-electric Flirt multiple-units with a 70km range.

Narrow-gauge

Lithuania has a ''narrow gauge'' line of first constructed in 1891. It was built as a cheaper alternative to the wider gauge railway. In 1996, the narrow gauge railway was declared a

heritage railway A heritage railway or heritage railroad (U.S. usage) is a railway operated as living history to re-create or preserve railway scenes of the past. Heritage railways are often old railway lines preserved in a state depicting a period (or periods) ...

and, in 2003, the

Panevėžys Panevėžys () is the fifth-largest List of cities in Lithuania, city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, eighth-most-populous city in the Baltic States. it occupies with 89,100 inhabitants. As defined by Eu ...

–

Anykščiai Anykščiai (; see #Name, other names) is a ski resort city in Lithuania, west of Utena, Lithuania, Utena. The Roman Catholic Church of St. Matthias in Anykščiai is the tallest church in Lithuania, with spires measuring in height. Anykščia ...

– Rubikiai line was included into the national list of preserved

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by socie ...

s. The total length of the preserved railway is . Today, the active part of the railway is , making it one of the longest narrow gauge lines in Europe. In 2001, Aukštaitija narrow gauge railway was established as a separate company (independent from the Lithuanian Railways) to manage the narrow gauge railway. It primarily runs services for tourism and entertainment. It operates tourist trains ran by the TU2 diesel locomotives.

Future expansion

is an ongoing greenfield railway infrastructure project which will link all

Baltic States The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

, including

and, eventually,

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. Being a part of the ''

Trans-European Transport Networks The Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) is a planned network of roads, railways, airports and water infrastructure in the European Union. The TEN-T network is part of a wider system of Trans-European Networks (TENs), including a telecommun ...

'' (TEN-T), it is one of the priority projects of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

. It will introduce

standard-gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...

with an operating speed of 249 km/h for passenger trains. As of 2023, the Rail Baltica project completion is scheduled for 2030, with a start of services on some of the sections in 2028. In Lithuania, of new track will be constructed, including the reconstruction of the

Vilnius–Kaunas Railway Vilnius – Kaunas Railway () is one of the main local railways in Lithuania. This railway connects Lithuanian capital Vilnius with the 2nd largest city Kaunas. The railway construction was started in 1859 and finished in 1862. Incidents On 4 ...

to support standard gauge. High speed rail will reduce the Vilnius—Kaunas route time to 38 minutes. At project completion, the following routes will become available or faster (with projected travel times): * Vilnius—Warsaw (4:07) * Vilnius—Riga (1:54, while currently it is 4:15) * Vilnius—Tallinn (3:38) , the project is in progress with major construction ongoing in Lithuania. The standard gauge line between the Polish border and Kaunas has been built, with freight services already operating between Germany and Kaunas Intermodal Terminal as well as passenger train service between Kaunas and

Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the List of cities and towns in Poland, tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Biał ...

. The construction works for the line between Kaunas and the Latvian border are expected to begin in 2021. File:RB_infografiki_Karte_EN.jpg, Map of Rail Baltica with the main stations File:Rail_Baltica_Lietuva.jpg, Dual gauge track between

and

File:Rokai,_geležinkelis.JPG, Rail Baltica track in Rokai ( Kaunas district)

Conversion to Standard Gauge

A 2022 European Union proposal is for all new rail lines to be Standard Gauge and a rolling plan introduced to convert other gauges to European standard gauge.

Rail links with adjacent countries

* —

, same gauge (1520 mm) * —

(1435 mm and 1520 mm) * —

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

, same gauge (1520 mm) * — Kaliningrad Railway with

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, same gauge (1520 mm)

Gallery

File:730ML-005_(33869202391).jpg, Pesa 730M train operated by LTG File:LTG-Link-Vilnius-Kaunas-EJ575-outside-Sep-2021.jpg, LTG Link service Vilnius–Kaunas File:06.05.18_Klaipėda_730ML-002%2B730ML-006_(41405812854).jpg, Train in Klaipėda railway station File:EJ575-007, Литва, Вильнюсский уезд, станция Лянтварис (Trainpix 113966) (cropped).jpg,

EJ575-007 train File:RAILWAY STATION AT VILLINUS AIRPORT ORO UOSTAS LITHUANIA SEP 2013 (9904349315).jpg, Train station at

Vilnius Airport Vilnius Čiurlionis International Airport () is the international airport, airport of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is located south of the city center. It is the largest of the three commercial airports in Lithuania by passenger traffi ...

References

External links

Lithuanian Railways website
{{Lithuania topics Rail transport in Europe Transport and the European Union