Trial runs to start for Tartu-Riga passenger train in 3-car format

TALLINN - The Latvian Railway Technical Inspectorate has issued Estonia's state-owned passenger train operator AS Eesti Liinirongid (Elron) a permit for test runs by a three-car Stadler Flirt train on the railway section between Riga and the town of Valga on the Estonian-Latvian border.

The test runs are necessary for the certification of Stadler Flirt trains for operation on Latvian railways to introduce a direct passenger service between Tartu and Riga.

"The test runs on the Valga-Riga railway section are scheduled for April 22-24, during which tests for compatibility with the Latvian infrastructure control systems, safety systems, radio communication and other systems will be conducted with a three-car Stadler Flirt train used in Estonia along the entire section, including necessary sidings," Elron's board member Märt Ehrenpreis said in a press release.

The tests with a two-car Stadler Flirt train conducted in February were successful, he added.

Ehrenpreis described the test runs as a crucial part of the certification process for Stadler Flirt passenger trains of the Elron fleet on Latvian railways.

The plan is for the Tartu-Riga service to be launched in the summer, with the exact date depending on the success of the certification process.

The certification of Stadler Flirt trains for operation in Latvia involves the Latvian Railway Technical Inspectorate, the European Union Agency for Railways, the Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority, as well as various companies providing certification services in the railway sector.

The Tartu-Valga-Riga passenger rail service is being developed by Elron in cooperation with the Estonian Ministry of Climate, the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, the City of Tartu, Latvian passenger train operator Vivi, and other Latvian partners.

On Jan. 6 this year, a once-daily passenger train service was launched between Tallinn and Vilnius via Tartu, Valga and Riga. It is served by Elron between Tallinn and Valga, by the Latvian passenger train operator Vivi between Valga and Riga, and by the Lithuanian passenger train operator LTG Link between Riga and Vilnius.