Trip to Latvia and Lithuania - May 2012
General Notes
PTG Tours "Rail Wonders of Latvia" railtour - a six day trip to Latvia, but also visiting Lithuania. I arranged the travel to and from Latvia myself. Photo album here.
Operating Company Abbreviations:
- GAb - Gulbene-Alūksne banitis (Gulbene-Alūksne Railway)
- LDz - Latvijas Dzelzceļš (Latvian Railways)
- LG - Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways)
Track gauge
Trains in Latvia and Lithuania are all 1520 mm gauge unless otherwise stated. Other trains listed are standard gauge (1435 mm).
| Place | Arrive | Depart | Train | Traction details & notes |
Saturday 5 May 2012
| Timperley | 06:03 | Metrolink tram 1014 | ||
| Piccadilly | 06:29 | 06:55 | Virgin Trains EMU 390 003 | |
| London Euston | 09:04 | 09:17 | London Underground Victoria Line | |
| London Victoria | 09:28 | 09:45 | Southern Railway EMU 442 418 | |
| Gatwick Airport (LGW) | 10:18 | 13:10 | BT652 | Air Baltic YL-BBJ B737-300 |
| Rīga Airport (RIX) | 16:50 | bus to Hotel | ||
| Overnight (PTG): Tallink Hotel Rīga, 24 Elizabethes, Rīga LV-1050 (1st of 2 nights) | ||||
Sunday 6 May 2012
| Rīga | 08:30 | 978 | LDz DL TEP70-0204 | |
| Gulbene | 12:10 | 13:00 | 694 | GAb DL TU2-273 (750mm gauge) including shunt from depot to station |
| Alūksne | 14:25 | 15:25 | 693 | GAb DL TU2-273 (750mm gauge) |
| Gulbene | 16:45 | 17:45 | 977 | LDz DL TEP70-0204 |
| Rīga | 21:48 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: none. | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Tallink Hotel Rīga, Rīga (2nd of 2 nights) | ||||
| Day 1 of the PTG "Rail Wonders of Latvia" railtour. I had travelled over the Gulbene - Alūksne line in July 2011. | ||||
Monday 7 May 2012
| Rīga | 08:20 | 978/977 | LDz DL M62-1198 | |
| via Skulte (09:30/09:50, run round) - Lilaste (10:14/10:24, photo stop) - Jāņavārti (11:08/11:30, run round) - Rīga - Tukums-1 (13:13/13:30, photo stop) - Usma (15:34/15:49, photo stop) | ||||
| Ventspils-1 | 16:55 | |||
| Park Railway "Mazbānītis" (full system tour) | 18:30 - 19:55 | SL MI-631 (600mm gauge) Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: (Rīga) Zemitāni - Skulte; Rīga - Tukums - Ventspils. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: (Rīga east curve) Zemitāni - Jāņavārti. | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Hotel Dzintarjura, Ganību iela 26, Ventspils, LV-3601 | ||||
| Day 2 of the PTG "Rail Wonders of Latvia" railtour. This included a visit to the park railway in Ventspils. | ||||
Tuesday 8 May 2012
| Ventspils-1 | 09:00 | 978/977 | LDz DL M62-1198 | |
| via Spāre (09:55/10:15, photo stop) - Tukums-2 (11:32/11:37) - Jelgava (12:40/13:15, run round) - Reņģe (14:38/15:08, run round) - Glūda (16:23/16:53, run round) - Ilmaja (19:40/19:50) | ||||
| Liepāja | 20:30 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Jelgava - Glūda - Liepāja. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Tukums-2 - Jelgava; Glūda - Reņģe. | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Liva Hotel, Lielā iela 11, Liepāja, LV-3401 | ||||
| Day 3 of the PTG "Rail Wonders of Latvia" railtour. | ||||
Wednesday 9 May 2012
| Liepāja | 09:00 | 978/977 | LDz DL M62-1198 | |
| via Saldus (11:20/11:35, photo stop) - Jelgava (13:05/13:25) - Iecava (14:24/14:39, photo stop) - Krustpils (16:40/16:55, photo stop) - curve from Km.387 - Daugavpils šķirotava (19:02/19:40, run round) - Km.533 - "southern" river bridge - Km.3 - Griva (19:52/20:22, run round) - Km.5 - Svente (20:40/20:44) - Ilūkste (20:52/21:22, run round) - Svente (21:32/21:36) - Km.5 - Km.3 - "southern" river bridge - Km.533 | ||||
| Daugavpils | 22:15 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Krustpils - Km.387; Km.533 - Griva; Km.533 - Daugavpils. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Jelgava - Krustpils; Km.387 - Daugavpils šķirotava; Daugavpils šķirotava - Km.533; Griva - Km.5 - Ilūkste; Km.5 - Km.3. | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Park Hotel Latgola, Gimnāzijas iela 46, Daugavpils, LV-5401 (1st of 2 nights) | ||||
| Notes Day 4 of the PTG "Rail Wonders of Latvia" railtour. The return journey from Svente to Daugavpils should have been via the "northern" river bridge, which sees no passenger services. The train was running quite late, and it was explained that the diversion via the "southern" bridge, which is the quicker route, was to save some time. We were booked to use the "northern" river bridge again on Friday. |
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Thursday 10 May 2012
| Daugavpils | 08:18 | 978/977 | LDz DL 2TE10U-0184 | |
| via Aglona (09:04/09:19, photo stop) - Rēzekne-1 (10:11/10:12) - Rēzekne-2 (10:20) - Zilupe (11:19/11:49, run round) - Rēzekne-2 (12:46) - Kleperovas - Kārsava (13:30/14:00, run round) - Kleperovas - Rēzekne-1 (14:40/15:00, run round) - Krustpils (16:14/16:55, run round) | ||||
| Daugavpils | 18:24 | followed by depot visit Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Daugavpils - Daugavpils šķirotava - Rēzekne-1 - Kleperovas - Kārsava; Rēzekne-2 - Zilupe; (Vilāni) - Krustpils; Km.387 - Daugavpils. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Rēzekne-1 - Rēzekne-2; Rēzekne-1 - (Vilāni). | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Park Hotel Latgola, Daugavpils (2nd of 2 nights) | ||||
| Day 5 of the PTG "Rail Wonders of Latvia" railtour. After arrival back in Daugavpils we had a visit to the depot/workshops. | ||||
Friday 11 May 2012
| Daugavpils | 08:45 | 978/977 | LDz DL 2TE10M-3422 | |
| via Indra (10:41/11:11, run round) | ||||
| * Daugavpils | 12:50 | 13:20 | LG DL TEP70-0335 | |
| via Km.533 - "southern" river bridge - Km.3 - Km.5 - Eglaine (14:05/14:07) - enter Lithuania (14:12) - Rokišķis (14:42/15:00, photo stop) - Subačius - Gustonys - Radviļiškis (17:25/17:40, photo stop) - enter Latvia | ||||
| * Jelgava | 19:36 | 20:06 | LDz DL M62-1093 | |
| Rīga | 21:00 | Today's photos | ||
| New passenger track today: Daugavpils - Indra; Rokišķis - Panevėžys - Radviliškis - Šiauliai - Jelgava - Rīga. | ||||
| New non-passenger track today: Ilūkste - Eglaine - Rokišķis. | ||||
| Overnight (PTG): Tallink Hotel Rīga, 24 Elizabethes, Rīga LV-1050 | ||||
| Notes Day 2 of the PTG "Rail Wonders of Latvia" railtour. Again, we failed to do the "booked" route via the "northern" river bridge, this time reportedly due to "technical reasons". |
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Saturday 12 May 2012
| Tallink Hotel Rīga | 09:05 | Taxi to airport | ||
| Rīga Airport (RIX) | 09:25 | 11:35 | BT651 | Air Baltic YL-BBJ B7373-300 |
| Gatwick Airport (LGW) | 12:25 | 13:35 | Southern Railway EMU 442 406 | |
| London Victoria | 14:05 | 14:15 | London Underground Victoria Line | |
| London Euston | 14:25 | 15:00 | Virgin Trains EMU 390 0?? | |
| Manchester Piccadilly | 17:07 | 17:20 | Metrolink tram ???? | |
| Timperley | 17:45 |
Summary
Another excellent railtour organised by PTG Tours - many thanks to Phil Wormald and Marion Matthews - except for one missed freight-only line.......