New Swiss-made Stadler trains enter service in Lithuania

Lithuania’s passenger rail operator LTG Link began commercial services with new Swiss-made Stadler Flirt trains on Thursday, with Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius describing the launch as the start of a new era of travel.

Sinkevičius said modern trains and an improved passenger experience could help foster a culture of sustainable travel and make rail a more attractive alternative to cars. Achieving that would require high-quality infrastructure and a modern fleet adapted to different passenger needs, he said.

The first of 15 Stadler Flirt trains ordered by LTG Link departed Vilnius for Kaunas at 10:33 Thursday morning. Initially, the new trains will serve the Vilnius-Kaunas route and temporarily operate between Vilnius and Trakai until electrification of the Vilnius-Klaipėda line is completed.

Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said more people were choosing trains over cars and that the government aimed to make public transport convenient and attractive.

Once electrification of the Vilnius-Klaipėda line is completed in November, the new trains will also serve that route. The aim is to cut travel time between the two cities to less than four hours.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas highlighted the importance of railways for military mobility and the movement of allied forces, including German and US troops, into Lithuania.

Arūnas Rumskas, LTG’s interim chief executive, said the launch coincided with a 50% discount on train tickets, which was helping drive demand.

“Passengers can ride a newer, better train for an even lower price,” he said.

Up to three train sets can be coupled together, allowing them to carry as many as 600 passengers.

Initial journeys between Vilnius and Kaunas will take about eight minutes longer than usual because of major repairs to the overhead power supply network, Rumskas said.

“I think such a loss is completely tolerable,” he said, adding that most trains operating on the Vilnius-Klaipėda route would be new Stadler rolling stock by the end of the year.

Battery-powered trains are scheduled to enter service in December on the Kaunas-Šiauliai and Radviliškis-Klaipėda routes, followed by the Vilnius-Varėna (Marcinkonys) route in the second half of the month.

Thirteen of the 15 trains ordered have already arrived in Lithuania, including seven electric trains and six battery-powered units. The electric models have 200 seats, while the battery-powered trains have 128.

Under a 226.5-million-euro contract signed in June 2023, Stadler Polska, a subsidiary of Stadler Rail, agreed to manufacture nine electric trains and six battery-powered trains. The contract also covers technical support, maintenance and spare parts through 2037.