Lithuanian Railways

Lithuanian Railways (Lithuanian: Lietuvos geležinkeliai) is the national, state-owned railway company of Lithuania. It operates most railway lines in the country.

For other uses, see LG_(disambiguation).
Lietuvos geležinkeliai
Group of public companies
IndustryRail transport
PredecessorMinistry of the Means of Communication of the USSR 
Founded1860 (First Line)
1919 (Official)
Headquarters
Vilnius
,
Lithuania
Key people
Mantas Bartuska (General Manager)
ProductsRail transport, Cargo transport, Services
Revenue€443.7 million (2017) [1]
€0.1 billion (2007)
€0.05 billion (2007)
Total equity€1.0 billion (2015)[2]
OwnerThe Lithuanian state
Number of employees
5,242 (2019) [3]
Websitewww.litrail.lt/en/home
Lithuanian Railways administrative building in Vilnius
Siemens ER20 CF locomotive (red) and 2M62U locomotive (green) at the central station in Vilnius
TEP70 in Vilnius

Lithuanian Railways' main network consists of 1,749 km of 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in) broad gauge railway of which 152.4 km are electrified. They also operate 22 km of standard gauge railway and a ~100 km dual gauge (standard and broad) line from Šeštokai to Kaunas.[4] A 179 km 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) narrow gauge network, listed as an object of cultural heritage, was split off into a separate company Aukštaitijos Siaurasis Geležinkelis in 2001. 68 km of narrow gauge, serving five stations, are regularly used, employing 12 locomotives.

In 2006 Lithuanian Railways transported 6.2 million passengers and 50 million tonnes of freight. Oil is the main freight item carried.[5]

History

In 1851, the government of Russia made the decision to build the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway. The line included a stretch from Daugavpils–Vilnius–Kaunas–Virbalis which was started in 1858 and finished in 1860. When the German army occupied Lithuania in 1915, the railway became the main supplier of food stuff and ammunition for the German army. In 1918 Lithuanian independence was restored, and in 1919 the Lithuanian government concluded an agreement with Germany on the handover of the railway assets to the Ministry of Transport.

During the years after World War I, Lithuanian Railways reconstructed the tracks, connecting them into a complete network. In 1923 the Klaipėda region was reunited with Lithuania and the port of Klaipėda became a part of the Lithuanian railway system. In 1940 the USSR occupied Lithuania, and railway activities were reorganized and all the agreements of Lithuania concluded with the neighbouring countries were terminated. In 1941, the Nazi occupying force changed most of the network from broad gauge to standard gauge. This was changed back by Soviets in 1944. During Soviet times all of the Baltic states railways were managed from Riga. In 1991, the railways of the Baltic region were once again divided into separate railway companies.[6]

Rolling stock
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Škoda EJ575 at Kaunas Railway Station
Railcar PESA 620M

Locomotives and trainsets for use on Lithuanian Railways' main network (excluding Panevezys-Rubikiai narrow gauge line) include:[7]

Passenger locomotives
Class Manufacturer Year(s) built Year(s) withdrawn Number built Traction Maximum speed, km/h Image
TEP60Kolomna Locomotive Works[8]1960201112Diesel 160

TEP701987Still in service4 160

TEP70BS20064 160

Freight locomotives
Class Manufacturer Year(s) built Year(s) withdrawn Number built Traction Maximum speed, km/h Remarks Image
M62Voroshilovgrad Locomotive Works1970Still in service40Diesel 100Subclass M62K have new engines.
2M62197674 100Twin-section version of M62. Locomotives 2M62-0001 to 2M62-0752 are equipped with M62 headlights, 2M62-0756 or later are equipped with DM62 headlights, 2M62-565 or later is equipped with new snowploughs. Subclasses 2M62K and 2M62M have new engines.
2M62U198722 100Updated version of 2M62 based on newer DM62 design. Snowplough and headlights are the same as later 2M62 have. They are also equipped with new fuel tanks and bogies without axle-box. Subclass 2M62UM have new engines.
ER20Siemens200744 120

Shunters
Class Manufacturer Year(s) built Year(s) withdrawn Number built Traction Maximum speed, km/h Remarks Image
ČME3ČKD1964Still in service36Diesel 95
ČME3M200823 90Rebuilt ČME3 units.
TEM-TMHVilniaus lokomotyvų remonto depas2009-201561 100
TEM-LTH20131 90

Diesel multiple units
Class Manufacturer Year(s) built Year(s) withdrawn Number built Traction Maximum speed, km/h Remarks Image
D1Ganz Works1963201324Diesel 120In 4-car formation.
DR1ARīgas Vagonbūves Rūpnīca1973Still in service5 120In 5- and 6-car formations. Based on earlier DR1P. Two different shapes of nose were built in different time (the older one is shown here). Example of later nose shape could be found at DR1AM line in this table.
DR1AM197312 1203-car formation adapted from DR1A. Equipped with new driving trailer carriages converted from trailer carriages in 1990s, the same conversions have been also made in other countries (named as DR1AM in Latvia/Ukraine/Georgia, DR1B/DR1BJ in Estonia, DRL1/MDP in Belarus).
AR219971 1201-car railbus.
RA2Metrowagonmash20084 100In 2- and 3-car formations.
620MPesa200912 1201-car railcar
630M20133 140In 2-car formation.
730ML20167 140In 3-car formation.

Electric multiple units
Class Manufacturer Year(s) built Year(s) withdrawn Number built Traction Maximum speed, km/h Remarks Image
ER9MRīgas Vagonbūves Rūpnīca1976Still in service2Electric 130In 4-car formation.
EJ575Škoda Transportation200813 160In 2- and 3-car formations.

Network

Electrification

Lithuania has chosen to electrify using 25 kV 50 Hz AC. Electrification is used only for commuter traffic between Vilnius - Kaunas, Vilnius - Trakai and Vilnius - Minsk as well from late 2017.

Electrifed lines as in 2016

See also

References
  1. "Lithuanian railways ups 2017 revenue to EUR 444 mln". The Baltic Course. 12 January 2018.
  2. name=http://vz.lt/rinkos/2015/10/14/vertingiausios-baltijos-saliu-imones-sarase-trys-is-lietuvos
  3. "Company Lietuvos geležinkeliai". rekvizitai.lt. 1 August 2019.
  4. The line was scheduled to be finished by the end of 2015. See Rail Baltica project page for more details
  5. Railway Operations in Lithuania
  6. The History Pages of Lithuanian Railways
  7. "LG locomotives and trainsets". 2014-12-12. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  8. "History: 1959-1977". kolomnadiesel.com. PJSC Kolomensky Zavod. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  • Official website
  • Winchester, Clarence, ed. (8 November 1935), "Estonia and Lithuania", Railway Wonders of the World, pp. 1292–1298, an account of the railways of Estonia and Lithuania in the 1930s
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