After reaching Lithuania in 2026, 15 of the Swiss concern "Stadler Rail" in Poland electric trains produced in the country will increase the frequency of train trips, says the new passenger transport company of Lietuvos Geležinkelių Group (LTG)LTG Link" manager Kristina Meidė.
According to her, the lack of rolling stock does not allow the company to increase the number of flights.
"Today, we can certainly fill existing flights, have partnerships, but we are limited by the number of rolling stock. In 2026, when we will have 15 new trains, we will certainly be more flexible and freer to have more trips," said K. Meidė in an interview with BNS.
The manager of "LTG Link" has not yet revealed whether a new route from Vilnius to Daugavpils will be opened this year, and the route to Tallinn is also being discussed with the Estonians. There will probably not be any more new international routes until 2028, when the European track Rail Baltica between Lithuania and Poland is promised.
- Previously, you managed retail and pharmacy chains, a bank division, and your last workplace was in the non-governmental sector. Why did you decide to turn to the field of transport and take part in the LTG Link manager competition?
- The railways really got hooked with the message about passengers as customers, about meaning, about Lithuania. All the time I still worked in retail - in one way or another it was related to customers, their growth, satisfaction, desire to use services. It turned out to be extremely interesting, because this is where you can really use the experience you have. It is also very interesting that it is about Lithuania, its people, about a sense of meaning. After the Red Cross, that sense of meaning really didn't diminish, and finding it was extremely important to me. I think that I found everything here - both the experience that I will be able to apply and the change that can be made to Lithuania and its people.
- Do you see challenges here, or does it not scare you considering that the public sector receives criticism for its lack of transparency and inefficiency?
- I work the same with all my heart wherever I would do it, so I will definitely work the same way here. I don't think it scares me, on the contrary, I see huge opportunities to make a difference. Transferring a large proportion of people from cars to trains and making a truly remarkable breakthrough. I can see that this company really has a lot of potential to do that, both in terms of people and about Know-how, so much about dreams that can definitely become reality in the near future. I would definitely see more advantages of all kinds here than the other way around.
- Statistics show that last year "LTG Link" tentatively transported 5 million passengers thus almost returning to pre-pandemic levels. At that time, the number of people traveling by train is expected to increase to 2030 million by 10. How to achieve this?
- First, there are short-term factors, what can be done. We have certain routes, we have trains that can carry a much larger number of people. This can be contributed to by the service and the satisfaction of customers who are already riding the trains, and by our agreements with partners who could both bring and drop off the train at the stop. Also, a single ticket system, when arriving in a certain city and buying a train ticket, you can buy one ticket (combined train and public transport – BNS) to your travel point B. Today, such a system already exists Klaipeda, and Vilnius, and Šiauliai. Of course, we really want more cities to join this, and we will work hard for that.
Also working with business clients who can ensure movement for their employees in this way (travel trains - BNS), because today our country is very mobile. I think we still have endless challenges to overcome in order to fill the existing routes with trains.
We also have further dreams, when more flights could appear on existing routes. Because in certain seasons we really feel that if we had more rolling stock, we could really have more trips to certain areas. Especially as we move more and more people out of cars, we will definitely need more flights, a more convenient and varied schedule. I think that we will have many opportunities already in 2026, when we will have new trains. Today, we can certainly fill existing flights, have partnerships, but we are limited by the number of rolling stock. Therefore, in 2026, when we will have 15 new trains, we will certainly be more flexible and freer to have more trips.
- In addition to the purchase of 15 trains from Stadler, are more rolling stock purchases planned in the near future?
- There are not yet any that have turned into signed contracts today. But we are putting together our long-term plans and it is possible that such plans will emerge. I can't say them yet today. As a team, we are re-examining our long-term strategy - what we want, how many routes we want, how many routes we lack. Our strategic vision is to be the backbone of the transport system, when the essential places of Lithuania are covered by the railway (communication - BNS), and to have many partners who will then help to reach other places from the railway. Today, the team and I are still in the stage of creation or revision, whether we already cover Lithuania like this and what we would like it to be. From this, we will already know how many trains we lack.
- What new routes does LTG Link plan to launch in the near future, and on which routes is it possible to increase the number of flights?
- As for the existing routes, now the schedules are already being laid out for next year. As for new routes, today they may appear in the short term (three to five years - BNS), but I would not like to name them yet, because they are in the planning process.
- Would they be between big cities or local, regional?
- Absolutely. Since this is a stage of planning, discussions, calculations and trying to understand the client's greatest need, I don't want to call it a plan yet.
- And what routes do you plan to destroy?
- We really don't have any plans for the next year. As we are putting together the schedules, I will probably know about some changes for next year in the near future, because we have to discuss them with the team first. However, I probably don't have anything to say about this today.
- How will train ticket prices change from June this year?
- We will not change them this year, the tickets will not be expensive.
- You talked about the desire to transfer passengers from cars to trains. And how do you plan to win the competitive battle with buses? Some train and bus routes have very similar durations and prices.
- When more than 90 percent people travel by car, so we probably see buses more as our partners today. The railway will certainly not cover all of Lithuania, every town or every stop. And the further this partnership goes, the more important it will be, because in order to bring the customer from door to door, we will need partners. Today, the biggest desire would probably be to contact, talk and try to convince the trains to test car drivers or passengers.
- Although LTG announces almost 100 percent. reaching and surpassing the international average of punctuality of trains, people often complain about late trains, unexpected breakdowns, canceled flights on social networks. Why and how often are trains late?
- We really monitor both punctuality and breakdown indicators of trains. Since in the public space the same case is sometimes escalated for a long time and a lot, it can give the impression that trains break down more often than they really do. (Train Punctuality - BNS) I definitely see the report every day and I definitely know if the trains are late or not. The statistics are really good - 98 percent. our trains arrive on time. Always eager to see benchmarks (benchmark - BNS), what to emulate and what are the best indicators, when we can compare even with the Swiss or Germans - our indicators are better.
Apparently, everything happens, and we really (think - BNS) about those 2 percent. There is certainly a lot of analysis and research on how to avoid it, but apparently it cannot be completely avoided. I see every day who is where, and if the train is late, I already know. I write thank yous to people for days when there are no delays and I feel like I write a lot of those thank yous.
The train may be late not only because of our action. This is not a freeway, where if a car stops in one row, everyone can pass successfully in the next row. Even if something happens on some track - not necessarily our train - due to an infrastructure failure, a runaway moose or other reasons, sometimes the trains just can't get through and they stop. You can understand that it doesn't matter to the customer because they want to arrive on time, so we really do our best to make that happen.
The breakdown rate of our trains is 0,2 percent. With 170 flights per day, more than 60 thousand. flights per year, this indicator is really good on a European scale and we aim to reduce and improve it.
- At the end of December, the Vilnius-Riga train started running. Is this a successful project or just a short-term hype?
- Today's numbers really exceed expectations and all our planned indicators. I can truly say that the project has paid off. We also raise the question whether it will not be the case that after a lot of hype and interest, those numbers may start to vary at some point. I think that our work should also be put in place so that the same passengers who travel by car today will transfer to the train. Inviting them is a constant job. Today, I hear more complaints from my acquaintances and friends that they cannot buy tickets because they simply do not exist.
- As far as I could see on the ticket sales page, the majority of train tickets are sold on weekends, but there are still some on weekdays.
- We really have a lot of wishes for working days (to sell tickets - BNS). Before planning new routes, building new roads, purchasing trains, which really takes a lot of time, today we have a lot of opportunities to make trains more full every day - both weekends and mid-week, and (fill - BNS) all routes so that the infrastructure would pay off faster, less compensatory mechanisms would be needed. Today, you really want to work as much as possible with business so that employees are transferred to trains. We really have a lot of work to do to fill the trains and keep them full both on weekends and in the middle of the week.
- However, I would like to return to competition with buses. Bus tickets from Vilnius to Riga are more than half the price, and their travel time is also shorter. How do you promise to compete with buses?
- Our trains are really busy, especially regarding the route to Riga. The customer chooses the train for comfort, seating comfort, and some other things. Of course, we monitor the environment, but today I would compete more with cars to get people out of them so that they can sit comfortably while traveling and do their work. Today, the biggest emphasis would probably be on cars, not buses.
– Could the Vilnius-Riga route schedule and the number of flights change in the future? Criticism is heard that the train does not stop in Kėdainiai or Jonava, as well as ideas that the Latvian carrier's train from Riga could also run in parallel.
- The route is very new, we don't have a lot of historical data yet, which is also important. The first half of the year is probably usually the point when you can start calculating, planning and forecasting something. The original desire was to be very competitive with time, so that number of stops was planned as necessary - to allow customers to transfer from other cities, so that the stops are where there are the most potential customers.
I really do not hide that today we are considering and calculating various possibilities. If there was an opportunity to have a few more stops without wasting time, we would definitely consider it. Since it's all in the consideration stage, I wouldn't want to talk too much about it because people have expectations right away. As soon as we have the answers, we will definitely let you know, but it is under consideration.
We are starting to count the first numbers now. We are surveying our existing and potential customers, business customers - changing the schedule would also greatly depend on this. It is already the time from which we can draw some conclusions, but I would still like to confirm and have longer time data to make decisions.
– Vilnius–Riga route in Latvia takes place on a commercial basis, in Lithuania it is subsidized from the state budget. What are its economic results?
- I won't say the exact numbers, but they exceed the planned ones.
- But will the subsidy still be needed?
- Yes.
- And what about the Vilnius-Daugpilis train, the need for which is yes Has the Minister of Transport also spoken? When can you expect it?
- We are calculating various options, various alternatives. We will let you know as soon as we have information.
- Could this route appear this year?
- I can neither confirm nor deny.
- And what is the situation regarding the route from Vilnius to Tallinn?
- Now it is a matter of debate. I couldn't go into details today, but we are definitely talking about this route.
"Would it be a direct route?"
- I cannot and do not want to say yet, because calculations and discussions are underway. It depends not even on us alone, but also on discussions with the other party.
- Are more international train routes from Lithuania planned? Couldn't they be expected without the European rail "Rail Baltica" connections?
- I don't think anything new could emerge before Rail Baltica.
– Your five-year term will last until 2029. It is expected that the tracks of the European railway of Lithuania and Poland will be connected already in 2028, and in 2030 it is planned to complete the entire "Rail Baltica" project. Has LTG's management set you specific tasks related to this project?
- I really have very clear KPIs (key performance indicators - BNS), how many passengers we should transport, how we should grow, how we should achieve customer satisfaction, how efficiently we should work. We also measure employee engagement. The same is true with major projects. Rail Baltica is one of the most important projects in our company, and LTG Link has a share in it. Our biggest focus today is how we are going to operate, what we would like to have there - today we are in the full planning stage.
- We talked about the lack of rolling stock. After the implementation of the "Rail Baltica" project, rolling stock adapted to the European track will be needed. Back in 2022, LTG Link announced a consultation with market participants regarding the purchase of 10 or 14 passenger trains for the European track, the tender for which could be announced no earlier than 2024. At what stage is this and the procurement of trains adapted to the European gauge in general?
- Today we don't yet know the scope in which we will operate. Trains are a means to act and implement your strategy, and today is the full stage of its creation. The nearest trains to reach us will be in 2026, their tests will begin in 2025. We are very much looking forward to them, because these will be 15 new trains that will give us the freedom to have more and more convenient trips, to respond to the needs of our customers, to be ready for seasonality, because today we are really limited by our fleet.
- However, specifically regarding the purchase of rolling stock adapted to the European track - is it planned to announce a tender for them this year, as planned?
- By the middle of the year, we have to put together a complete vision of how we want to operate in the future, and then we will think about the need for rolling stock. I can't define the time frame when the competition could take place.
- As the example of the purchase of electric trains shows, the announcement of the tender, the signing of the contract, and production can take up to seven years. Will it not happen that in 2028 there will be a European gauge, but Lithuania will not have trains suitable for it?
- We will do our best to make sure that everything happens on time - when there is a track, so that there are also trains. But today we are mostly working on understanding how we will operate, what volumes we will need, because that depends on how many and what kind of trains to buy.
- In Lithuania, as in many countries, passenger train transportation is subsidized from the state budget. What to do with this situation - to accept that there will be no other way or is it still possible to find ways to make it cost the state as little as possible?
- Due to the small size of the country, it is hard for me to imagine that passenger transportation activities would be unsubsidized, but there should definitely be profitable routes that should not be covered from the state budget. However, today I can't imagine that this activity could be completely unsupported, I don't know of any European country where it would be otherwise. Our desire to work as efficiently as possible, to maximize the use of routes and to attract as many passengers from cars as possible, which would help reduce the need for subsidies.
Today, our routes can be profitable only in certain stages and in a certain season. However, if we take the average, support is still needed for all routes.
- Thank you for conversation.
Author Giedrius Gaidamavičius
