From the beginning of next year, train passengers travelling from Vilnius will soon be able to reach Tallinn in one day, according to LTG Link, the Passenger Transport Directorate of Lithuanian Railways.
The three Baltic rail operators – Lithuania’s LTG Link, Latvia’s Pasažieru vilciens (Vivi) and Estonia’s Elron – are currently adjusting their schedules to make the journey possible with two train changes – in Riga and Valga in Estonia.
“This is an important strategic achievement and underlines the cooperation between the Baltic countries in connecting their capitals. Our teams are working hard to ensure that in the future it will be possible to connect Vilnius and Tallinn with only one change,” said LTG Group CEO Egidijus Lazauskas.
The new timetable adjustments also include the launch of Vivi’s Riga-Valga service next week, which will be synchronized with LTG Link’s Vilnius-Riga route, resulting in a transfer time of around 20 minutes.
In addition, from 6 January 2025, the daily Elron train Tallinn-Valga will be aligned with the revised timetable, allowing passengers to travel seamlessly between the three Baltic capitals in one day.
“It was technically possible to travel between these countries by train, but the misaligned timetables made it less attractive for passengers,” said Lauris Betlem, CEO of Elron.
According to LTG Link, a one-day train journey from Vilnius to Tallinn has been impossible due to scheduling challenges.
The new connection is expected to provide an alternative to car journeys and to serve as a basis for further improvements in connectivity, with the ultimate goal of direct, competitive daily train connections between the Baltic capitals.