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Lithuanian Railway Network
The length of railway lines in Lithuania totals 1775.3 km including 1520 mm track-1753.5 km and 1435 mm track – 21.8 km. 1520 mm track railways extend to the Baltic States and CIS, while 1435 mm track railways connect Lithuania with Poland and, through the latter, with West European states.
Review of the activities of the Lithuanian railways
The geographical position of Lithuania has determined that our country is crossed by two European transport corridors: North-South direction Corridor I Tallinn- Riga-Kaunas-Warsaw with its branch IA Siauliai-Kaliningrad-Gdansk, and the branches IXB Kiev-Minsk-Vilnius-Kaunas-Klaipėda and IXD Kaunas-Kaliningrad of the East-West direction Corridor IX.
These corridors were approved at the Conferences of the European Transport Ministers which took place in Crete and Helsinki. After Lithuania’s accession to the EU these corridors will become a part of the European transport network TEN-Tr. The European transport Corridor I is also included into the list of lines AGC, CIM, and CIV (AGC – European Agreement on Main International Railway Lines, CIM – Uniform Rules Concerning the Contract for International Carriage of Goods by Rail, CIV – Uniform Rules Concerning the Contract for International Carriage of Passengers and Luggage by Rail).
Infrastructure
The technical level of the Lithuanian rail sector infrastructure is still below the European one. Therefore, the modernization and development of the Lithuanian railway sector infrastructure is a basic condition of its successful integration into the European railway system. Priority is given to the renovation and modernization of the railway sector infrastructure on the international transport corridors. The main attention in the development of the railway sector infrastructure is being paid to ensure the technical interoperability of Lithuanian railways with the European railways, to meet the contemporary reguirements .of safety and environment protection, to increase the load of railways and the running speed of trains, to promote combined carriage activities.
Interoperability with the EU Railways
In order to improve technical interoperability of Lithuania‘s 1520 mm railway network with railways of other EU Member States and to preserve existing regional technical interoperability between railway systems of Baltic States, attention is paid to implementation of directives concerning technical interoperability.
Interoperability means the ability of a railway system to allow the safe and uninterrupted movement of trains which accomplish the required levels of performance for these lines.
Designing, modernisation and construction of railway infrastructure as well as construction and production of rolling stock is based on uniform technical specifications of interoperability (TSI) binding upon all the Member States and are applied both to high speed railway system and conventional railway system. Following TSIs are applied in the sector:
'TAF' : Telematic Applications for freight: Commission Regulation (EC) No 62/2006 of 23 December 2005 concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the telematic applications for freight subsystem of the trans-European conventional rail system
Control-Command and signalling: 2006/679/EC: Commission Decision of 28 March 2006 concerning the technical specification for interoperability relating to the control-command and signalling subsystem of the trans-European conventional rail system (notified under document number C(2006) 964)
Rolling Stock - Freight Wagons: 2006/861/EC: Commission Decision of 28 July 2006 concerning the technical specification of interoperability relating to the subsystem rolling stock — freight wagons of the trans-European conventional rail system (notified under document number C(2006) 3345)
Traffic Operation and Management: 2006/920/EC: Commission Decision of 11 August 2006 concerning the technical specification of interoperability relating to the subsystem Traffic Operation and Management of the trans-European conventional rail system (notified under document number C(2006) 3593)
Modification to the TSI's on Freight Wagons and Operation: 2009/107/EC: Commission Decision of 23 January 2009 amending Decisions 2006/861/EC and 2006/920/EC concerning technical specifications of interoperability relating to subsystems of the trans-European conventional rail system (notified under document number C(2009) 38)
'PRM' : Persons with Reduced Mobility : 2008/164/EC: Commission Decision of 21 December 2007 concerning the technical specification of interoperability relating to persons with reduced mobility in the trans-European conventional and high-speed rail system (notified under document C(2007) 6633)
'SRT' : Safety in Railway Tunnels : 2008/163/EC: Commission Decision of 20 December 2007 concerning the technical specification of interoperability relating to safety in railway tunnels in the trans-European conventional and high-speed rail system (notified under document number C(2007) 6450)
Directive 2008/57/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 on the interoperability of the rail system within the Community (Recast) regulates interoperability of the wide-track and European-track railway system as well as other track width systems in the EU Member States (the Greek (1000 mm), the Spanish (1688 mm), the Finnish (1524 mm) and the Irish (1600 mm). Provisions of this directive have been transposed to the Lithuanian legislation.
The EU and Lithuanian policy on the issues of railway infrastructure
The EU policy and requirements for the development of the railway infrastructure are set forth in the EU Directive 91/440/EEC on the Development of Community‘s Railways (as amended by Directive 2007/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 amending Council Directive 91/440/EEC on the development of the Community’s railways and Directive 2001/14/EC on the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity and the levying of charges for the use of railway infrastructure), in the development guidelines of the Trans-European Railway Network (TEN), in the EU Directive 96/48/EC on the Interoperability of the Trans-European High-Speed Railway System, in the EU Directive 2001/16/EC on the Interoperability of the Trans-European Conventional Railway System, in the EU White Paper ‘European Transport Policy Until 2010 – Time to Make a Decision’. The measures necessary for their implementation are set forth in the programme TINA, the State Investment Programme (VIP), the programme of the development.
Rail Baltica
On 15 September 2003, four interested parties (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) reached an agreement on main technical parameters of the future Rail Baltica line and signed a document on the common position of the Rail Baltica Coordination Group, establishing general specifications of the Rail Baltica Project.
On 29 April 2004, the European Parliament and the Council approved, by decision No. 884/2004/EC, 30 priority transport sector projects including the aforesaid Rail Baltica Project to be implemented by Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. This decision will enable Lithuania and other Baltic States to use the EU funding as costs of implementation of the project in Lithuanian territory only may reach EUR 800, while total required funding amounts to EUR 3.93 billion.
The European Commission has prepared terms of reference for the Rail Baltica pre-design study, which is to be launched in September 2005 and finished in February 2006. Results of this study will form a basis for adoption of a final decision on the building of Rail Baltic route.
On 20 July 2005 the European Commission appointed a coordinator of Rail Baltica project for the period of 4 years – Pavel Telička, a Czech national, former European Commissioner.
The Government of the Republic of Lithuania has resolved the Resolution No 1802 of 23 December 2009 on Approval of a Plan for Urgent Actions to be Taken With a View to Implementation of Rail Baltica Project. Rail Baltica project implemented according this plan.
By linking Lithuania with Finland via three Baltic States, Rail Baltica will create conditions for modern cargo and passenger transportation operations and will contribute to the region‘s integration into the EU railways networks.
Investment Projects
Modernisation of Lithuanian railways, instal GSM-R, prolongation of roads of railway stations of IX corridor. Priorities of short terms are: modernisation of transeuropean railway lines, renovation of signal and electricity supply systems, reconstruction of transeuropean railways.
Railway Reform
A reform of the railway transport sector has been launched in 2004. The reform is carried out in accordance with the Republic of Lithuania Law on the Railway Transport Sector. This Law establishes the objectives, procedure of implementation and phases of the reform, peculiarities of the railway infrastructure operator‘s activities and surveillance over such activities during the reform, and sources of funding of modernisation and development of public railway infrastructure. Two phases of the reform have been provided for:
Phase 1 – before formation of a state enterprise for the management of public railway infrastructure
Phase 2 – formation of the state enterprise.Integration into international organizations
After the re-establishment of Lithuanian independence, an important role to stabilize the activities of the Lithuanian railway undertaking (JSC ‘Lithuanian Railways’), to develop carriage activities and infrastructure, to improve traffic safety and quality of services, was played and is still played by the decisions of the Parliament (the Seimas) and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the membership in international organizations and application of international agreements and rules. In 1992 the Republic of Lithuania became a member of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSZhD ), and JSC ‘Lithuanian Railways’ became a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC ); in 1995 the Republic of Lithuania having joined the Convention Concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) became a member of the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF); from 2000 having ratified the relevant agreement the Republic of Lithuania participates in the Trans-European Railway (TER) project of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; in 2001 the European Agreement on Main International Railway Lines (AGC) was ratified.
International cooperation
The decisions of the Parliament (the Seimas) and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the membership in international organizations and application of international agreements and rules play important role in ensuring international activities of railway transport sector, to develop passenger and freight transportation activities and railway infrastructure, to improve traffic safety and quality of services, was played and is still played by.
In 1992 the Republic of Lithuania became a member of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSZhD ), and JSC ‘Lithuanian Railways’ became a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC ).
In 1995 the Republic of Lithuania having joined the Convention Concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) became a member of the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF); from 2000 having ratified the relevant agreement the Republic of Lithuania participates in the Trans-European Railway (TER) project of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe; in 2001 the European Agreement on Main International Railway Lines (AGC) was ratified.
Vikingas: a Mixed Carriage Train
The “Viking” container train is a common railway and seaport loading project of Lithuania, Belarus, Ukrain which aims to better use of capacities of Corridor IX and to activate transportation of freigth between ports of Black Sea and Baltic Sea. It is expected to invoke potential of railway transport and implement transport policy of European Union.
20 and 40 feet universal and specialized containers and truck-tractors (contrailers) may be transported by this train. Sea transport brings them from Scandinavia and Western European countries to Klaipėda Seaport. Train route: Klaipėda-Kena/Gudagojis-Slovečn/Berežest-Odessa- Iljichiovsk. Freight may be loaded/unloaded in following railway stations: Paneriai (Vilnius), Koliadichi (Minsk), Kijev-Liski (Kiev).
The project is being implemented for 8 years already. Economical and legal background is developed, the project and its advantages are constantly presented in various countries.
From 2004 to 2010 number of containers transported increased 20 times, from 1897 TEU up to 41804 TEU.
41804 TEU were carried in 2010, what makes 5,8 % increase in comparison with 2009 (39.517 TEU). Figures of 2010 exceeded results of 2007 (40.066 TEU). 34015 TEU where transported in 2008, which made decrease of 15 % if compared with 2007. 39.517 TEU where carried in 2009, which is 16 % more than 2008.
Narrow-gauge railway
The example of a unique cultural heritage, the Lithuanian narrow-gauge line (750 mm gauge) is the longest in Europe (67 km). On 10 May 2001 the public institution ‘Aukstaitijos siaurasis gelezinkelis’ (Narrow Gauge Railway of Upper Lithuania) was founded for the track Panevė˛ys-Anyksčiai-Rubikiai (the Ministry of Transport and Communications was one of its founders) in order to preserve, properly maintain, and integrate it into the regional tourism development programmes.