@@iggyblitz8739 Most dogs are well-trained, and a responsible owner would have taken them for a walk before boarding. The question is, though, why they don't have kitty litters. 😺
I live in Tallinn and have to rather frequently visit my girlfriend in Riga and we like to visit friends in Vilnius... This is a decent quality of life improvement but it's still 55€ and takes longer than the buses. I wish Elron would create Tallinn-Riga services :')
I do believe there is a plan to make a Tartu to Riga daily train actually which should be a pretty easy switch from Tallinn to Tartu if the timetable works out.
It would be nice to have a direct service. Even though it’s slower than the bus, some people find it more comfortable, and it would also create many direct connections from smaller cities not directly served by the buses.
@@oadka longer than bus is temporary due to some maintenance works in Estonia, iirc? (heard something on the news). At some point later the time will decrease and be shorter than taking a bus.
Taking the shortest times for each segment as seen @9:19, I get 9 hours and 19 minutes as the fastest possible direct run currently. And no, I did not notice that little coincidence until I was making this post.
Looks very useful. Nice to have a "direct" service again after so many years. Hopefully they can get some rolling stock so the journey from Vilnius to Tallinn can be done without a change. I was in Vilnius in 2019 and the station building had wonderfully comfortable bean bags, but they seem to be missing now :(
10 hours is a bit too long for most people, so it's unlikely, but hopefully it will be only a transfer in Riga in a few months, once the Latvians approve Elron to use their railway. In the long term, there will be direct high speed service when Rail Baltica is completed.
@@lukestevens8735 Tallinn-Riga and Riga- Vilnius are both slightly over 4 hours, and there are direct buses, so 8.5 hours from Tallinn to Vilnius. Tallinn-Vilnius is usually 21€, Tallinn-Riga or Riga-Vilnius are 16€.
@@ntw9218 currently Vivi considers renting the Lithuanian diesel train to extend its journey from Vilnius to Valga and back, actually. There's a possibility it would happen sooner than Elron because so far Elron has been slow, if perhaps even unwilling, to get their trains approved for Latvian rail
Thanks for yet another video from Lithuania. A small note regarding seats in 1st class vs 2nd class. The difference is not only material (fabric vs leather), but also double armrests in 1st as opposed to single armrest between the seats in 2nd class which also results in wider gap between the seats in the 1st class ensuring slightly better privacy. Other than that, indeed, there isn't that much of a difference between 1st and 2nd class in terms of seating. Unfortunately, from what I've seen in the official rendering, the new Stadler Flirt trains will also feature 2+2 layout for 1st class. We'll see very soon, I guess. Regarding section between Šiauliai and LT/LV border, the line didn't see any passenger service for years (since early 2000s I believe) and was only used for freight. This must have been a contributing factor why LTG didn't bother maintaining it, so now the line speed is limited to 80km/h and you can feel that it's a bit shaky. On the Latvian side, from what I know, they used some of the early pre-Rail Baltica funding to improve the line from Jelgava all the way to LT/LV border resulting in a much better track condition on the Latvian side. Still, it's a bit interesting that despite splashing millions of EU and national budget money on it, they only made it 120 km/h and not, say, 140 km/h or even 160 km/h which track geometry would have allowed no problem. Anyway, I hope this service keeps improving and we'll see more services on the current infrastructure, because Rail Baltica, frankly, is still in a very distant future and with all the problems that it's facing, I'm not even sure if it will actually get built and have proper services running on it. Therefore this current service is really needed and it would be smart to keep investing into it.
@@redcub7895 Technically yes, but it was running like once a week and in practice wasn't a viable or practical service that anyone ever used to travel between Vilnius and Riga.
To be fair the width of those trains are comparable to some of what’s offered in America. The UIC loading gauge is a bit more restricted than the AAR one
Yeah, the width of the train is determined by the loading gauge rather than the track gauge, but it seems like many people don't realise this distinction exist. E.g. the Swedish loading gauge also allows for wider and taller trains than the typical European one. On the contrary, the loading gauge used in most of the UK doesn't really allow for double-decker trains at all despite using the same track gauge as much of Europe and North America.
They are related, though. Broad gauge railways tend to have broader loading gauges, and the broadness of the trains is somewhat limited by the track gauge. You can't put too large of a train onto a normal (or narrow gauge) track since you limit how far these trains may lean without falling over.
@@m0llux Your point is good yes, but those European broad gauge trains tend to still be a tad smaller than the American standard gauge trains. Good example is how in the US there’s lots of double stack container trains. India IIRC also has electrified broad gauge double stack
I can't believe it took them 30 years to figure out 🤦♂️ Next challenge: how to add an extra stop for intercity buses from Valka to Valga station... It's a whopping 2 km
It's not about "figuring out". Since the overwhelming majority of Estonia's population lives in the Northern part of the country by the Gulf of Finland, there's been no need for this connection with Riga, even less with Vilnius. The number one destination for Estonians is Helsinki (8 -10 million trips between Tallinn and Helsinki per year) the capital of our fellow Finnic nation of Finland. Helsinki and Tallinn are so close to each other, so it would be rather weird if it wouldn't be the most popular destination. Plus, a lot of people have relatives in Finland. I personally visit the second largest city/town in Estonia - Tartu - less than Helsinki. We just don't have any need to visit Latvia or Lithuania. Maybe once or twice in a decade as tourists. Those who live in the Southern part and the border make up such a small part of the population and they've just driven to Latvia by car or bus. I'm of course glad that they have an option to take a train to Riga now, but I don't think it's going to last long especially without donations from countries themselves or EU which desperately tries to "unite" the "Baltic region" like the Soviet union tried before.
@@carleryk Well, at least, there seems to be always having been trains arriving to Valga from both sides and there were already connections in the past, so it's really not a great deal to just asure a short change for those few who want to take the train. I wanted to last May, but this short change was only available on week ends and not on week days, so I preferred Lux Bus too (and have to confirm a departure from Tallinn and arrival to Riga on the exact minute). From tomorrow, we talk of only one train per direction each day, which is really not a great deal, but already improving connections between kind of existing services should be in all operators' interest, no matter, if the demand is big in the moment of plannification.
@@ok-vk9fv What I meant was, the buses going to the Valka bus station (say, from Valmiera) on the Latvian side could continue on to the Valga station to make the connections simpler. I know what's there, I live in the area...
@@carleryk So because you don't need the train and have some anecdotal evidence of people visiting emigrant relatives in Finland, it's Soviet to adjust the timetables on a nigh-unused track to make a cross-border rail connection more attractive and less inefficient than to date. Thanks for that insight.
I've been a regular to Lithuania for 20yrs.(My Wife is Lithuanian) I am a Train Driver in the UK and I am pleased to see LTGs progress on this route and we may do a Tallinn trip from Radviliskis all going well. Just to add the Electrification will be Passenger only and LTGs main traffic is Freight so not alot gained. Also the Stadler ordered Units don't look long enough for the route and I bet they'll be needed to be doubled up once in service
That's such a great improvement! Even the LuxExpress lounge seats on the bus to Estonia are not as comfy as a normal train seat - so I'm looking forward to this new connection!
0:33 It's Lublin (like I said before) 0:39 Vilnius has introduced new Škoda trolleybuses for a few months now (but the old ones still operate sometimes even though they don't have modern ticket machines) 0:56 I actually took this train on its first day (but I caught it from Šiauliai instead); there were celebrations in Šiauliai and Joniškis (and some gifts from LTG Link as well as other people) 1:19 You ignored the accessible toilet here (there are more toilets but these are only accessible from a stairway and they require contactless payment or a train ticket QR code) 1:51 There was a Vilnius-Riga sleeper train until 2004 (there's even a UA-cam video that shows it) and an Ukrainian "Four capitals" train stopped at Vilnius on its way into Riga (but that was shut down in 2020 for obvious reasons) 2:00 These double-decker trains aren't the best for long-distance journeys though (so if the line was electrified then those upcoming Stadler FLIRT would likely be used instead) 4:38 That electrification process also will bring new Stadler FLIRT electric and battery-electric trains that will likely start service in 2026 (I also saw that Siemens EuroDUAL electric locomotives will be purchased likely for freight usage but maybe LTG Link will keep the loco-hauled trains for a bit longer?) 5:07 That's a temporary timetable poster because of trackworks (most if not all LTG Link trains don't have a timetable in the train's interior) 8:11 It is actually eventful here because the track quality immediately improves (Latvia spent a lot of money repairing their section of the line (possibly?) at the same time as Lithuania was building Rail Baltica 1) 9:29 Latvia wants to rent one of LTG Link's Pesa 730ML trains so they can run it themselves to Valga (so the former option is more likely here)
It will be even better in a month as there won't be three trains, but only two. Latvian Vivi will rent the Lithuanian LTG Link train so it will go from Vilnius to Valga... and then only one train change in Valga to Elron train. Some time later there should also be separate Tartu - Riga train I hope.
Det er også helt fint! Twitter er nok også på vej ud, men jeg har ikke gidet flytte til et andet medie, før jeg finder ud af, hvor de fleste jernbanetosser rykker hen. :-)
The 2+2 in first class is a bit unfortunate. In Finland we also have the same Russian rail gauge but first class is 2+1. In your video it also seems that all passengers are packing out first class with the rest of the train empty! I would have downgraded myself to have peace and quiet.
Hi, nice video! I travelled from France to Vilnius by train in the summer of 2023, however of course had to continue on to Riga by bus due to the connection not running at that time. Great to see the line is running! What app did you use to show the speed of the train btw? Would like to install it myself
I rode this train in August, 2024 in First Class. I ended up in the first row. The leg room was unacceptable due to the wheel well. The space was appropriate for a small child. It was incredibly uncomfortable for a 4 hour journey.
Interesting! I'm 187 cm myself and didn't find it uncomfortable, but it really shows how different perceptions of seats can be based on our own personal differences. 😄
@@Simon-Andersen I was in the window seat where you showed the big table. The foot space was almost non-existent. I ended up cramped up after the four hour trip. I rode during the summer (full train) so didn't have a chance to move seats.
*On select days, if booked at least 2-3 weeks in advance, only including hand luggage I agree flying can make sense if you are booking in advance and travel light or speed is a priority. The train is the same price no matter when you book, and you can bring as much luggage as you can physically carry at no extra charge. I think the main competitor to the train on price is definitely not AirBaltic, but the busses. And of course the train and busses also connect smaller towns the plane doesn't do as well.
It's an art piece/sculpture by Martyn Gaubas. The sculpture, #ape_tit, was created for World Environment Day and depicts an ape with a crown perched on top of a pile of electronic devices. It was moved to the station not long ago from its previous location in the center of Vilnius.
Wow why would they not have all baltics integral timetable ticketing... the size is doable eyh did they not try the full swiss model to the most rural town
You tried, the food, you tried the toilet, but how come you didn't test the water for dogs to make sure it was good quality water? 🙂 Historically, were north-south links ever popular in the past and replaced by car/buses, or were passeners service always geared to link to Moscow or other Russian/Soviet towns? Curious to see how big of an impact the move to north-south links and joining of EU will have on the 3 countries longer term.
before the soviet times and during the soviet times there were links to both russia and north-south (in the 1930s for example there were plenty of trains riga-berlin, riga-paris, riga-prague...) after the fall, in Latvia the focus shifted on links with Russia due to how much money they made, because a lot of russians live here and also RŽD paid for a part of it
In Soviet era, there were several trains from Tallinn both to Moscow and Leningrad each day, one to Pskov, a few to Riga, and a train to Minsk, having the same route as this one (but extended). Many of the people who were using the Moscow train were actually Russians coming from the middle of the distance to shop in Tallinn. In Soviet time, many of the products were sold only locally, if not sent to Moscow, and especially the peripheral areas were supplied poorly. So, people came both for food, and for several other products. The clothes were popular, especially if they had any scripts (with Latin letters, deep inside Russia people could think that these are foreign). The trains connecting Moscow with the areas close to Moscow (like 200 km) were called "the sausage trains", as everyone went shopping in Moscow, being unable to find even sausages in their local shops.
I normally do it as it tends to be quieter, meaning I can film without disturbing other passengers. However, in this case, it seems to be the opposite way around.
AirBAltic is better option than that. And considering Rail Baltica will not go into Riga, I doubt there will be any passengers between Vilnius and Tallinn. Thus, unlikely to be any passenger trains at all
@@weetikissa In November Latvia decided that line from Lithuanian border to Estonian border is the absolute priority. The rest is optional for the time they find more money later. Which basically means, the loop through airport and Riga center is not going to be built. They are even discussing possibility to build only single track line.
Definitely true for Riga-Tallinn. It’s a bit more balanced on the southern portion in terms of pricing and speed. Personally, I can’t spend 8+ hours on a bus all the way from Vilnius to Tallinn, but I agree-it would be great if they could introduce cheaper fares, perhaps dynamic pricing or discounts for buying tickets in advance, similar to the buses. That said, it’s also worth considering that these trains create opportunities for people to travel more easily from the smaller cities along the route, which are currently not as well served by buses.
Latvia is so much behind, damn. No electrification, old Russian trains. Rail Baltica won't be completed in Latvia. The local politicians are good at skimming off money, not construction.
Most of the suburban railway network in Riga is electrified and features all brand-new trains. However, outside of Riga, the situation is still very depressing at the moment.
@@havelock9857 The only somewhat useful bit is between Vilnius and Riga and I'd still take the bus, despite not being a fan from long, long experience (for both business and leisure). Having to make two unnecessary changes when you can just take one bus is asking for trouble if there are delays. Would not really like to be stuck in Valka/Valga if something goes wrong.
@@g745-z2r I have taken the bus from Riga to Vilnius many, many times before, and for me the train is more comfortable with 100% certainty. The factors are - seating space and comfort, tables for some work on the go, ability to easily get up and stretch legs easily, normal toilet, onboard snacks and coffee service. Also, the factor is the unfortunate current state of some road surfaces on Lithuanian side, mostly A2 that you can't even sleep riding through in a bus. Any normal connecting service, anywhere, always waits if there's a delay on prior service and they can afford to wait. E.g. in Riga airport if you fly into late in the evening and still need to fly to Vilnius/Tallinn/Tampere, those flights will await you if you fly in with a delay. They are willing to get rid of at least one of the changes, too. There was talks of Elron extending their trains to Riga and also I heard rumors that LTG might rent out one PESA to Vivi. For me, the larger nuisance would be having to buy 3 separate tickets as it is now. But I agree with one thing - in Baltics, Tallinn to Vilnius or Kaunas is the only distance I would legitimately agree it's faster to fly, at least until there's 200 km/h+ rail service covering that distance.
@@g745-z2r I've taken buses from Riga to Vilnius many, many times and I would pick this train since I first took it, any time. Arguments are - seating space and comfort, tables for some work or leisure while on the go, ability to get up and stretch legs normally and have a bit of a walk, normal toilet, normal snacks and drinks on board. Also, the factor is the unfortunate current state of road surface in several places in Lithuania, mostly on A2, you can't sleep there in a bus because of how much it shakes now. The train already goes 120 km/h much of the way and even 140 km/h as of recently around Joniškis, so there's room for it definitely being faster than a bus. Every normal connecting service should await for the first service's arrival to the point of connection, if possible. E.g. if an Air Baltic flight is flying into RIX late at night, then the connecting ones to Vilnius/Tallinn/Tampere will wait for its passengers. 3 different tickets will be more of a nuisance than Valga, well connected by Elron services, currently. Also, they want to get rid of at least one of the connections, last year Elron was planning to start services to Riga, and recently I heard rumors that LTG might lease out one of its Pesa DMUs to Vivi. Although I agree with one point - that full length of service, the entire 10h trip, is something interesting to tourists only for now. Tallinn to Vilnius/Kaunas is something definitely easier to fly, at least before there's 200 km/h service covering that route.
@g745-z2r I've taken buses from Riga to Vilnius many, many times and I would pick this train since I first took it, any time. Arguments are - seating space and comfort, tables for some work or leisure while on the go, ability to get up and stretch legs normally and have a bit of a walk, normal toilet, normal snacks and drinks on board. Also, the factor is the unfortunate current state of road surface in several places in Lithuania, mostly on A2, you can't sleep there in a bus because of how much it shakes now. The train already goes 120 km/h much of the way and even 140 km/h as of recently around Joniškis, so there's room for it definitely being faster than a bus. Every normal connecting service should await for the first service's arrival to the point of connection, if possible. E.g. if an Air Baltic flight is flying into RIX late at night, then the connecting ones to Vilnius/Tallinn/Tampere will wait for its passengers. 3 different tickets will be more of a nuisance than Valga, well connected by Elron services, currently. Also, they want to get rid of at least one of the connections, last year Elron was planning to start services to Riga, and recently I heard rumors that LTG might lease out one of its Pesa DMUs to Vivi. Although I agree with one point - that full length of service, the entire 10h trip, is something interesting to tourists only for now. Tallinn to Vilnius/Kaunas is something definitely easier to fly, at least before there's 200 km/h service covering that route.
As an Estonian I'm just wondering who is going to use this service or even Rail Baltic at least the section after Pärnu. Especially with that price tag. Mainly foreign tourists maybe? The overwhelming majority of Estonia's population lives in the Northern part of the country by the Gulf of Finland, so there's been no need for this connection with Riga, even less with Vilnius. The number one destination for Estonians is Helsinki (8 -10 million trips between Tallinn and Helsinki per year) the capital of our fellow Finnic nation of Finland. Helsinki and Tallinn are so close to each other, so it would be rather weird if it wouldn't be the most popular destination. Plus, a lot of people have relatives in Finland. I personally visit the second largest city/town in Estonia - Tartu - less than Helsinki. We just don't have any need to visit Latvia or Lithuania. Maybe once or twice in a decade as tourists. Those who live in the Southern part and the border make up such a small part of the population and they've just driven to Latvia by car or bus. I'm of course glad that they have an option to take a train to Riga now, but I don't think it's going to last long especially without donations from countries themselves or EU which desperately tries to "unite" the "Baltic region" like the Soviet union tried before.
Even aside from tourists, there are no people in other Baltic states that ever want or need to go to Estonia. And no Estonians want - or need - to visit Riga/Vilnius. Ever. Your personal experiences surely reflect those of every single other person of the entire 1.4 million population of Estonia.
Realistic answer though is that theres already a decent number of flights and long bus trips internally in the Baltics between these cities which the high speed train would be able to do faster and more environmentally friendly. But another big reason is freight transportation. The Rail Baltica line is also designed for freight trains to use, allowing much more efficient shipment of goods between Europe and the Baltics and vice versa. Though even on top of that, one has to remember that this is high speed rail and can also really pay off when going beyond the baltics. The line will connect to Warsaw down in Poland and Poland is working on their own high speed rail network. Even until thats done, with Rail Baltica you can also easily run overnight services (or long distance daytime trains) to cities like Berlin, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. Even Hamburg ain't off the table. Of course though this is all considering current demand but everything often adapts to the infrastructure around it, whether by market forces, government initiatives, or a combination of both. The high speed railway can help stimulate the economy and make it more attractive to seek jobs across the borders of each nation, or in the towns along the line. That in turn can also make it more attractive for companies to set up shop in these countries. In short it has the power to do big changes for the livelihood of all the Baltic states and one can hardly see the impact itll have until its done unless youve seen a megaproject like it once before. I myself am from Denmark, Greater Copenhagen specifically, so Ive been able to see how big infrastructure projects like the Great Belt bridge, the Öresund bridge to Sweden, and the Copenhagen Metro have reshaped the city and country. And how the currently under construction Fehmarn tunnel to Germany will do the same. Doesnt mean I'm an infrastructure purist, but Rail Baltica is an incredibly well thought out project all things considered, and once its there, I imagine most people couldnt imagine life without it.
Hi! I live in Tallinn and my girlfriend is Latvian, living close to Riga. I take the EcoLines/LuxExpress/FlixBus service very frequently (every other weekend). They're almost always full of a mix of Estonians, Latvians, Russians, Ukrainians and tourists - more Russians and Ukrainians on EcoLines and more tourists on FlixBus. I think there is a market for RailBaltica considering there's more than 1 Tallinn-Pärnu-Riga bus per hour between the 3 companies and other companies with less frequent services.
@@havelock9857I mean, when about 850,000 people in a country of only 1.4 million lives in the northernmost counties of the country, then I think I'm not the only one thinking like that 😉
When I visited these places, I thought it was wild that I had to fly because there was no way I was gonna take a bus for an insane number of hours to get from city to city. I was told the reason why these train lines didn’t exist was because the Soviets didn’t want any trains I didn’t go to Moscow
there is certainly some truth to that, during Soviet times, the focus was on Moscow. However, railway lines between the Baltic capitals have existed for centuries. In recent years, it has mostly been a matter of funding, demand, and political will.
@@Simon-Andersen Another issue is that the train line from Riga goes through Tartu so unless one is interested in going to Tartu too, it is a detour when travelling to Tallinn anyway and with existing speeds it time wise cannot compete with numerous busses going to Tallinn even if they are less comfortable, same is true for Vilnius - Riga, it is hard to compete if you have one or a few trains per day, time wise it is the same or even worse for a train and there are numerous busses running promotions when sometimes you can go between the capitals for 5-7 euros only... I remember the time when promotions were like EUR 1,99 from Riga to Vilnius or Tallinn
The dog drinking bowls are the best feature I've ever seen on a train. 🙂
Ok, what happens if they do a crap on the train ?, stinky?
@@iggyblitz8739 Most dogs are well-trained, and a responsible owner would have taken them for a walk before boarding.
The question is, though, why they don't have kitty litters. 😺
I live in Tallinn and have to rather frequently visit my girlfriend in Riga and we like to visit friends in Vilnius... This is a decent quality of life improvement but it's still 55€ and takes longer than the buses.
I wish Elron would create Tallinn-Riga services :')
I do believe there is a plan to make a Tartu to Riga daily train actually which should be a pretty easy switch from Tallinn to Tartu if the timetable works out.
Damn, longer than the bus is sad.
It would be nice to have a direct service. Even though it’s slower than the bus, some people find it more comfortable, and it would also create many direct connections from smaller cities not directly served by the buses.
@@oadka longer than bus is temporary due to some maintenance works in Estonia, iirc? (heard something on the news). At some point later the time will decrease and be shorter than taking a bus.
@@botanist3257 good to hear!
Taking the shortest times for each segment as seen @9:19, I get 9 hours and 19 minutes as the fastest possible direct run currently. And no, I did not notice that little coincidence until I was making this post.
I promise it's fully accidental, but that is a very cool catch!
Looks very useful. Nice to have a "direct" service again after so many years. Hopefully they can get some rolling stock so the journey from Vilnius to Tallinn can be done without a change. I was in Vilnius in 2019 and the station building had wonderfully comfortable bean bags, but they seem to be missing now :(
10 hours is a bit too long for most people, so it's unlikely, but hopefully it will be only a transfer in Riga in a few months, once the Latvians approve Elron to use their railway. In the long term, there will be direct high speed service when Rail Baltica is completed.
@ntw9218 How long does the bus take and how expensive? The train looks comfortable with a civilised atmosphere!
@@lukestevens8735 Tallinn-Riga and Riga- Vilnius are both slightly over 4 hours, and there are direct buses, so 8.5 hours from Tallinn to Vilnius. Tallinn-Vilnius is usually 21€, Tallinn-Riga or Riga-Vilnius are 16€.
@@ntw9218 currently Vivi considers renting the Lithuanian diesel train to extend its journey from Vilnius to Valga and back, actually. There's a possibility it would happen sooner than Elron because so far Elron has been slow, if perhaps even unwilling, to get their trains approved for Latvian rail
@ntw9218 I was just checking the Flexbus website and they give a 8hr30 as fastest and just over 9hr average for direct. With a change it's about 11hr.
Thanks for yet another video from Lithuania. A small note regarding seats in 1st class vs 2nd class. The difference is not only material (fabric vs leather), but also double armrests in 1st as opposed to single armrest between the seats in 2nd class which also results in wider gap between the seats in the 1st class ensuring slightly better privacy. Other than that, indeed, there isn't that much of a difference between 1st and 2nd class in terms of seating. Unfortunately, from what I've seen in the official rendering, the new Stadler Flirt trains will also feature 2+2 layout for 1st class. We'll see very soon, I guess.
Regarding section between Šiauliai and LT/LV border, the line didn't see any passenger service for years (since early 2000s I believe) and was only used for freight. This must have been a contributing factor why LTG didn't bother maintaining it, so now the line speed is limited to 80km/h and you can feel that it's a bit shaky. On the Latvian side, from what I know, they used some of the early pre-Rail Baltica funding to improve the line from Jelgava all the way to LT/LV border resulting in a much better track condition on the Latvian side. Still, it's a bit interesting that despite splashing millions of EU and national budget money on it, they only made it 120 km/h and not, say, 140 km/h or even 160 km/h which track geometry would have allowed no problem. Anyway, I hope this service keeps improving and we'll see more services on the current infrastructure, because Rail Baltica, frankly, is still in a very distant future and with all the problems that it's facing, I'm not even sure if it will actually get built and have proper services running on it. Therefore this current service is really needed and it would be smart to keep investing into it.
There was Ukrainian train from Kyiv to Riga which worked in 2018-2020 and used this line between Vilnius and Riga
@@redcub7895 no stop in Joniškis though. It only stopped in Vilnius and Šiauliai in Lithuania.
@@redcub7895 Technically yes, but it was running like once a week and in practice wasn't a viable or practical service that anyone ever used to travel between Vilnius and Riga.
To be fair the width of those trains are comparable to some of what’s offered in America. The UIC loading gauge is a bit more restricted than the AAR one
Yeah, the width of the train is determined by the loading gauge rather than the track gauge, but it seems like many people don't realise this distinction exist. E.g. the Swedish loading gauge also allows for wider and taller trains than the typical European one. On the contrary, the loading gauge used in most of the UK doesn't really allow for double-decker trains at all despite using the same track gauge as much of Europe and North America.
They are related, though. Broad gauge railways tend to have broader loading gauges, and the broadness of the trains is somewhat limited by the track gauge. You can't put too large of a train onto a normal (or narrow gauge) track since you limit how far these trains may lean without falling over.
@@m0llux Your point is good yes, but those European broad gauge trains tend to still be a tad smaller than the American standard gauge trains. Good example is how in the US there’s lots of double stack container trains. India IIRC also has electrified broad gauge double stack
Personally I liked Amtrak's trains between New York and Philadelphia and Washington, and they offer similar comfort as LTG Link's 730M.
@ for the Acela or Amfleet?
You have a fun job 😀. Also, if the toilet had disco music, the flickering light wouldn't be so bad.
Disco? More like some electro house or something like that.
I should really have found some royalty free techno music for this bathroom review :P
Oh this is such good news!
Although I won't be able to visit the three countries until after Rail Baltica is finished, but to see improvement even today is still good.
Good to hear that! Will be there soon
Have a fun trip! its so much easier now if you want to go by rail!
@@Simon-Andersen thank you. yes i believe. did it before but had to use a bus on one part
I can't believe it took them 30 years to figure out 🤦♂️ Next challenge: how to add an extra stop for intercity buses from Valka to Valga station... It's a whopping 2 km
It's not about "figuring out". Since the overwhelming majority of Estonia's population lives in the Northern part of the country by the Gulf of Finland, there's been no need for this connection with Riga, even less with Vilnius. The number one destination for Estonians is Helsinki (8 -10 million trips between Tallinn and Helsinki per year) the capital of our fellow Finnic nation of Finland. Helsinki and Tallinn are so close to each other, so it would be rather weird if it wouldn't be the most popular destination. Plus, a lot of people have relatives in Finland. I personally visit the second largest city/town in Estonia - Tartu - less than Helsinki. We just don't have any need to visit Latvia or Lithuania. Maybe once or twice in a decade as tourists. Those who live in the Southern part and the border make up such a small part of the population and they've just driven to Latvia by car or bus. I'm of course glad that they have an option to take a train to Riga now, but I don't think it's going to last long especially without donations from countries themselves or EU which desperately tries to "unite" the "Baltic region" like the Soviet union tried before.
There's no Valka station. Only Valga in EST where both country trains stop.
@@carleryk Well, at least, there seems to be always having been trains arriving to Valga from both sides and there were already connections in the past, so it's really not a great deal to just asure a short change for those few who want to take the train. I wanted to last May, but this short change was only available on week ends and not on week days, so I preferred Lux Bus too (and have to confirm a departure from Tallinn and arrival to Riga on the exact minute). From tomorrow, we talk of only one train per direction each day, which is really not a great deal, but already improving connections between kind of existing services should be in all operators' interest, no matter, if the demand is big in the moment of plannification.
@@ok-vk9fv What I meant was, the buses going to the Valka bus station (say, from Valmiera) on the Latvian side could continue on to the Valga station to make the connections simpler. I know what's there, I live in the area...
@@carleryk So because you don't need the train and have some anecdotal evidence of people visiting emigrant relatives in Finland, it's Soviet to adjust the timetables on a nigh-unused track to make a cross-border rail connection more attractive and less inefficient than to date. Thanks for that insight.
I've been a regular to Lithuania for 20yrs.(My Wife is Lithuanian)
I am a Train Driver in the UK and I am pleased to see LTGs progress on this route and we may do a Tallinn trip from Radviliskis all going well.
Just to add the Electrification will be Passenger only and LTGs main traffic is Freight so not alot gained. Also the Stadler ordered Units don't look long enough for the route and I bet they'll be needed to be doubled up once in service
That's such a great improvement! Even the LuxExpress lounge seats on the bus to Estonia are not as comfy as a normal train seat - so I'm looking forward to this new connection!
0:33 It's Lublin (like I said before)
0:39 Vilnius has introduced new Škoda trolleybuses for a few months now (but the old ones still operate sometimes even though they don't have modern ticket machines)
0:56 I actually took this train on its first day (but I caught it from Šiauliai instead); there were celebrations in Šiauliai and Joniškis (and some gifts from LTG Link as well as other people)
1:19 You ignored the accessible toilet here (there are more toilets but these are only accessible from a stairway and they require contactless payment or a train ticket QR code)
1:51 There was a Vilnius-Riga sleeper train until 2004 (there's even a UA-cam video that shows it) and an Ukrainian "Four capitals" train stopped at Vilnius on its way into Riga (but that was shut down in 2020 for obvious reasons)
2:00 These double-decker trains aren't the best for long-distance journeys though (so if the line was electrified then those upcoming Stadler FLIRT would likely be used instead)
4:38 That electrification process also will bring new Stadler FLIRT electric and battery-electric trains that will likely start service in 2026 (I also saw that Siemens EuroDUAL electric locomotives will be purchased likely for freight usage but maybe LTG Link will keep the loco-hauled trains for a bit longer?)
5:07 That's a temporary timetable poster because of trackworks (most if not all LTG Link trains don't have a timetable in the train's interior)
8:11 It is actually eventful here because the track quality immediately improves (Latvia spent a lot of money repairing their section of the line (possibly?) at the same time as Lithuania was building Rail Baltica 1)
9:29 Latvia wants to rent one of LTG Link's Pesa 730ML trains so they can run it themselves to Valga (so the former option is more likely here)
Ltg just purchased 17 stadler coco (euro900) locomotives, so I don't think they're going to buy more trains for freight anytime soon.
Traveled many times on this train, it is very spacious and comfortable, so much legroom almost too much...
It will be even better in a month as there won't be three trains, but only two. Latvian Vivi will rent the Lithuanian LTG Link train so it will go from Vilnius to Valga... and then only one train change in Valga to Elron train. Some time later there should also be separate Tartu - Riga train I hope.
Ah has the contract actually been signed now? Thats amazing :D
I suspect your large table has more to do with the cab door than the wheels, as there seats on that side acrossnthe aisle
Ahh good catch, also possible!
Af en eller anden grund, tænker jeg at jeg fortsat holder mig fra Twitter.
Men tak for videoen.
Det er også helt fint! Twitter er nok også på vej ud, men jeg har ikke gidet flytte til et andet medie, før jeg finder ud af, hvor de fleste jernbanetosser rykker hen. :-)
Superb video. Will you come to Spain?
Cough... (Talgo) cough...
I plan to visit spain again in 2025
@@Simon-Andersen ok many thanks
I am actually surprised they hadn't coordinated before! Seems like a very cheap and simple way of maximising convenience.
It really is, thankfully they have come around to it now.
That Lithuanian Train Hostess with the red hair at 10:39 is a real Beautiful Baltic Lady!
1:32 It's not that type "domestic". Domestic waste synonyms are household waste or mixed waste.
@@edmundas919 yes this is what we call a joke
The 2+2 in first class is a bit unfortunate. In Finland we also have the same Russian rail gauge but first class is 2+1. In your video it also seems that all passengers are packing out first class with the rest of the train empty! I would have downgraded myself to have peace and quiet.
Hi, nice video! I travelled from France to Vilnius by train in the summer of 2023, however of course had to continue on to Riga by bus due to the connection not running at that time. Great to see the line is running! What app did you use to show the speed of the train btw? Would like to install it myself
Its called digi hud!
Thank you!
Are those trains wider than the American loading gauge?
They are similar in width to an amfleet.
Next step is to improve the frequency I guess.
Will hopefully come with rail baltica
I wish that it would be with no layovers but it will happen in due time.
Is this a re-upload?
No, but i know Trainviking also posted a video in the other direction this week :-)
I rode this train in August, 2024 in First Class. I ended up in the first row. The leg room was unacceptable due to the wheel well. The space was appropriate for a small child. It was incredibly uncomfortable for a 4 hour journey.
Interesting! I'm 187 cm myself and didn't find it uncomfortable, but it really shows how different perceptions of seats can be based on our own personal differences. 😄
@@Simon-Andersen I was in the window seat where you showed the big table. The foot space was almost non-existent. I ended up cramped up after the four hour trip. I rode during the summer (full train) so didn't have a chance to move seats.
AirBaltic Tallinn Vilnius costs 48 eur one way. 1:10h
*On select days, if booked at least 2-3 weeks in advance, only including hand luggage
I agree flying can make sense if you are booking in advance and travel light or speed is a priority. The train is the same price no matter when you book, and you can bring as much luggage as you can physically carry at no extra charge. I think the main competitor to the train on price is definitely not AirBaltic, but the busses. And of course the train and busses also connect smaller towns the plane doesn't do as well.
1:47 What's that, heap of trash on the right?
It's an art piece/sculpture by Martyn Gaubas. The sculpture, #ape_tit, was created for World Environment Day and depicts an ape with a crown perched on top of a pile of electronic devices. It was moved to the station not long ago from its previous location in the center of Vilnius.
@@Simon-Andersen thanks for the info.
😮
Wow why would they not have all baltics integral timetable ticketing... the size is doable eyh did they not try the full swiss model to the most rural town
You tried, the food, you tried the toilet, but how come you didn't test the water for dogs to make sure it was good quality water? 🙂
Historically, were north-south links ever popular in the past and replaced by car/buses, or were passeners service always geared to link to Moscow or other Russian/Soviet towns?
Curious to see how big of an impact the move to north-south links and joining of EU will have on the 3 countries longer term.
before the soviet times and during the soviet times there were links to both russia and north-south (in the 1930s for example there were plenty of trains riga-berlin, riga-paris, riga-prague...)
after the fall, in Latvia the focus shifted on links with Russia due to how much money they made, because a lot of russians live here and also RŽD paid for a part of it
In Soviet era, there were several trains from Tallinn both to Moscow and Leningrad each day, one to Pskov, a few to Riga, and a train to Minsk, having the same route as this one (but extended). Many of the people who were using the Moscow train were actually Russians coming from the middle of the distance to shop in Tallinn. In Soviet time, many of the products were sold only locally, if not sent to Moscow, and especially the peripheral areas were supplied poorly. So, people came both for food, and for several other products. The clothes were popular, especially if they had any scripts (with Latin letters, deep inside Russia people could think that these are foreign).
The trains connecting Moscow with the areas close to Moscow (like 200 km) were called "the sausage trains", as everyone went shopping in Moscow, being unable to find even sausages in their local shops.
First class looks exactly the same as second class so why pay an extra 10 eros for first class?
I normally do it as it tends to be quieter, meaning I can film without disturbing other passengers. However, in this case, it seems to be the opposite way around.
10hrs for 60€? Bus is still the better option until RailBaltica.
AirBAltic is better option than that. And considering Rail Baltica will not go into Riga, I doubt there will be any passengers between Vilnius and Tallinn. Thus, unlikely to be any passenger trains at all
@@jur4xRail Baltica does go via Riga
@@weetikissa In November Latvia decided that line from Lithuanian border to Estonian border is the absolute priority. The rest is optional for the time they find more money later. Which basically means, the loop through airport and Riga center is not going to be built. They are even discussing possibility to build only single track line.
Definitely true for Riga-Tallinn. It’s a bit more balanced on the southern portion in terms of pricing and speed. Personally, I can’t spend 8+ hours on a bus all the way from Vilnius to Tallinn, but I agree-it would be great if they could introduce cheaper fares, perhaps dynamic pricing or discounts for buying tickets in advance, similar to the buses.
That said, it’s also worth considering that these trains create opportunities for people to travel more easily from the smaller cities along the route, which are currently not as well served by buses.
Vilnius-Rija er bedre end Riga-Tallinn. 🤔
Ruten er mere direkte og uden skift, så det kan man godt sige.
Lithuania 👍 🚶 🛴 🚴 🏍 🚗 🚌 🚂 ⛵ ✈
Nice trains and pretty cheap for 1 class😎
don't mind if i join the "Tallinn-Berlin train" hype
Would be a cool night train
@@Simon-Andersen but also a worthy high-speed train in that region
I was in Lithuania a few weeks ago, would love to see Rail Baltica.
Also the small population means trains are very empty even in summer.
Theoretically yes
Du skulle lige have nævnt at den nye Riga Central er tegnet af en dansk arkitekt. :)
Det er faktisk nyt for mig, men helt klart!
Simon har du været lidt syg i denne her video eller er det bare mig
@@mikkelank Jeg har været lidt forkølet, så det kan godt være stemmen har drillet
@ Der er ok
02:55 wtf
Tony Soprano Statue is one of vilnius most famous landmarks :P
Latvia is so much behind, damn. No electrification, old Russian trains. Rail Baltica won't be completed in Latvia. The local politicians are good at skimming off money, not construction.
Most of the suburban railway network in Riga is electrified and features all brand-new trains. However, outside of Riga, the situation is still very depressing at the moment.
'The Influencers' Express' rather than anything useful.
much more comfortable than buses, took it 3 times last year for tourism. I suspect it's also great for business travel.
@@havelock9857 The only somewhat useful bit is between Vilnius and Riga and I'd still take the bus, despite not being a fan from long, long experience (for both business and leisure). Having to make two unnecessary changes when you can just take one bus is asking for trouble if there are delays. Would not really like to be stuck in Valka/Valga if something goes wrong.
@@g745-z2r I have taken the bus from Riga to Vilnius many, many times before, and for me the train is more comfortable with 100% certainty. The factors are - seating space and comfort, tables for some work on the go, ability to easily get up and stretch legs easily, normal toilet, onboard snacks and coffee service. Also, the factor is the unfortunate current state of some road surfaces on Lithuanian side, mostly A2 that you can't even sleep riding through in a bus.
Any normal connecting service, anywhere, always waits if there's a delay on prior service and they can afford to wait. E.g. in Riga airport if you fly into late in the evening and still need to fly to Vilnius/Tallinn/Tampere, those flights will await you if you fly in with a delay.
They are willing to get rid of at least one of the changes, too. There was talks of Elron extending their trains to Riga and also I heard rumors that LTG might rent out one PESA to Vivi. For me, the larger nuisance would be having to buy 3 separate tickets as it is now.
But I agree with one thing - in Baltics, Tallinn to Vilnius or Kaunas is the only distance I would legitimately agree it's faster to fly, at least until there's 200 km/h+ rail service covering that distance.
@@g745-z2r I've taken buses from Riga to Vilnius many, many times and I would pick this train since I first took it, any time. Arguments are - seating space and comfort, tables for some work or leisure while on the go, ability to get up and stretch legs normally and have a bit of a walk, normal toilet, normal snacks and drinks on board. Also, the factor is the unfortunate current state of road surface in several places in Lithuania, mostly on A2, you can't sleep there in a bus because of how much it shakes now.
The train already goes 120 km/h much of the way and even 140 km/h as of recently around Joniškis, so there's room for it definitely being faster than a bus.
Every normal connecting service should await for the first service's arrival to the point of connection, if possible. E.g. if an Air Baltic flight is flying into RIX late at night, then the connecting ones to Vilnius/Tallinn/Tampere will wait for its passengers. 3 different tickets will be more of a nuisance than Valga, well connected by Elron services, currently.
Also, they want to get rid of at least one of the connections, last year Elron was planning to start services to Riga, and recently I heard rumors that LTG might lease out one of its Pesa DMUs to Vivi.
Although I agree with one point - that full length of service, the entire 10h trip, is something interesting to tourists only for now. Tallinn to Vilnius/Kaunas is something definitely easier to fly, at least before there's 200 km/h service covering that route.
@g745-z2r I've taken buses from Riga to Vilnius many, many times and I would pick this train since I first took it, any time. Arguments are - seating space and comfort, tables for some work or leisure while on the go, ability to get up and stretch legs normally and have a bit of a walk, normal toilet, normal snacks and drinks on board. Also, the factor is the unfortunate current state of road surface in several places in Lithuania, mostly on A2, you can't sleep there in a bus because of how much it shakes now.
The train already goes 120 km/h much of the way and even 140 km/h as of recently around Joniškis, so there's room for it definitely being faster than a bus.
Every normal connecting service should await for the first service's arrival to the point of connection, if possible. E.g. if an Air Baltic flight is flying into RIX late at night, then the connecting ones to Vilnius/Tallinn/Tampere will wait for its passengers. 3 different tickets will be more of a nuisance than Valga, well connected by Elron services, currently.
Also, they want to get rid of at least one of the connections, last year Elron was planning to start services to Riga, and recently I heard rumors that LTG might lease out one of its Pesa DMUs to Vivi.
Although I agree with one point - that full length of service, the entire 10h trip, is something interesting to tourists only for now. Tallinn to Vilnius/Kaunas is something definitely easier to fly, at least before there's 200 km/h service covering that route.
A bus is still faster and cheaper lmao
As an Estonian I'm just wondering who is going to use this service or even Rail Baltic at least the section after Pärnu. Especially with that price tag. Mainly foreign tourists maybe? The overwhelming majority of Estonia's population lives in the Northern part of the country by the Gulf of Finland, so there's been no need for this connection with Riga, even less with Vilnius. The number one destination for Estonians is Helsinki (8 -10 million trips between Tallinn and Helsinki per year) the capital of our fellow Finnic nation of Finland. Helsinki and Tallinn are so close to each other, so it would be rather weird if it wouldn't be the most popular destination. Plus, a lot of people have relatives in Finland. I personally visit the second largest city/town in Estonia - Tartu - less than Helsinki. We just don't have any need to visit Latvia or Lithuania. Maybe once or twice in a decade as tourists. Those who live in the Southern part and the border make up such a small part of the population and they've just driven to Latvia by car or bus. I'm of course glad that they have an option to take a train to Riga now, but I don't think it's going to last long especially without donations from countries themselves or EU which desperately tries to "unite" the "Baltic region" like the Soviet union tried before.
Even aside from tourists, there are no people in other Baltic states that ever want or need to go to Estonia. And no Estonians want - or need - to visit Riga/Vilnius.
Ever.
Your personal experiences surely reflect those of every single other person of the entire 1.4 million population of Estonia.
Realistic answer though is that theres already a decent number of flights and long bus trips internally in the Baltics between these cities which the high speed train would be able to do faster and more environmentally friendly. But another big reason is freight transportation. The Rail Baltica line is also designed for freight trains to use, allowing much more efficient shipment of goods between Europe and the Baltics and vice versa.
Though even on top of that, one has to remember that this is high speed rail and can also really pay off when going beyond the baltics. The line will connect to Warsaw down in Poland and Poland is working on their own high speed rail network. Even until thats done, with Rail Baltica you can also easily run overnight services (or long distance daytime trains) to cities like Berlin, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. Even Hamburg ain't off the table.
Of course though this is all considering current demand but everything often adapts to the infrastructure around it, whether by market forces, government initiatives, or a combination of both. The high speed railway can help stimulate the economy and make it more attractive to seek jobs across the borders of each nation, or in the towns along the line. That in turn can also make it more attractive for companies to set up shop in these countries. In short it has the power to do big changes for the livelihood of all the Baltic states and one can hardly see the impact itll have until its done unless youve seen a megaproject like it once before.
I myself am from Denmark, Greater Copenhagen specifically, so Ive been able to see how big infrastructure projects like the Great Belt bridge, the Öresund bridge to Sweden, and the Copenhagen Metro have reshaped the city and country. And how the currently under construction Fehmarn tunnel to Germany will do the same. Doesnt mean I'm an infrastructure purist, but Rail Baltica is an incredibly well thought out project all things considered, and once its there, I imagine most people couldnt imagine life without it.
Hi!
I live in Tallinn and my girlfriend is Latvian, living close to Riga.
I take the EcoLines/LuxExpress/FlixBus service very frequently (every other weekend). They're almost always full of a mix of Estonians, Latvians, Russians, Ukrainians and tourists - more Russians and Ukrainians on EcoLines and more tourists on FlixBus.
I think there is a market for RailBaltica considering there's more than 1 Tallinn-Pärnu-Riga bus per hour between the 3 companies and other companies with less frequent services.
@@havelock9857I mean, when about 850,000 people in a country of only 1.4 million lives in the northernmost counties of the country, then I think I'm not the only one thinking like that 😉
When I visited these places, I thought it was wild that I had to fly because there was no way I was gonna take a bus for an insane number of hours to get from city to city. I was told the reason why these train lines didn’t exist was because the Soviets didn’t want any trains I didn’t go to Moscow
there is certainly some truth to that, during Soviet times, the focus was on Moscow. However, railway lines between the Baltic capitals have existed for centuries. In recent years, it has mostly been a matter of funding, demand, and political will.
@@Simon-Andersen Another issue is that the train line from Riga goes through Tartu so unless one is interested in going to Tartu too, it is a detour when travelling to Tallinn anyway and with existing speeds it time wise cannot compete with numerous busses going to Tallinn even if they are less comfortable, same is true for Vilnius - Riga, it is hard to compete if you have one or a few trains per day, time wise it is the same or even worse for a train and there are numerous busses running promotions when sometimes you can go between the capitals for 5-7 euros only... I remember the time when promotions were like EUR 1,99 from Riga to Vilnius or Tallinn
A great example how Europe needs to come together. Make peace with Russia and hope to see you log a marathon rail journey from London to Vladivostok!
Пpoeбaлты запустили поезд от вильнюса до таллина но есть нюанс
This is not your problem, Kremlin troll.