Latvijas Dzelzcels' main focus at the moment is on passenger transportation

RIGA - The primary focus of joint-stock rail company Latvijas Dzelzcels (LDz) is passenger transportation, LDz board member Rinalds Plavnieks told LETA after the International Rail Freight Business Association (IBS) congress on Thursday.

LDz has been redefining its identity in recent years due to the changing geopolitical situation, but thanks to improvements in passenger infrastructure, its primary focus is now on passenger transport, said Plavnieks.

LDz's priorities also include quality passenger infrastructure, including platforms, rail stations, as well as transport of European freights for the needs of the Latvian and the Baltic economies.

"At the same time, we also focus on freights from Central Asia, one of the largest strategic partners of the European Union, to ensure Central Asian companies' access to European markets and transportation of European products to Central Asian markets," added Plavnieks.

Currently rail freight transport, for example, from Latvia to Germany or Italy, is limited because Latvia, unlike Lithuania, does not have 1,435-millimeter gauge tracks. "So Latvia has to transport freights to Lithuania, but Lithuanian terminals have limited capacity. It means that, until the Rail Baltica project is implemented, LDz cannot really compete in this segment," said Plavnieks.

LDz closely cooperates with ferry lines, shipping freights from Latvian or Estonian plants by rail to the ports of Ventspils and Liepaja, which then transport them elsewhere in Europe.

The IBS congress on strengthening rail connections between the Baltic countries and other European countries is taking place in Riga on Thursday.

As reported, last year the LDz Group's turnover, according to preliminary data, was EUR 233.738 million, which is 11.3 percent less than in 2023, while the Group's losses increased 2.4 times to EUR 7.794 million.

LDz is the manager of the railway infrastructure in public use and the holding company of the LDz Group.