There was no alternative to converting the entire system of main lines to standard 4 ft 8½ in gauge. German troops then occupied the country, but after the Armistice of November, 1918, the Germans withdrew. Lithuania was a medieval power and included parts of Poland, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine within its territory. Since 1919 the Estonians have built 255 miles of new lines of both gauges, 362 bridges, and sixty-five stations. The north is a plain covered by forests interspersed with meadows and rivers, some of which are partly subterranean before they reach the Gulf of Finland; two ranges of hills cross this plain. A British squadron came to the aid of the Estonians and put an end to attacks by the Russian navy, while the Estonian troops cleared the Russians out of the country. Since the war the Lithuanian State Railways have had a number of fine modern locomotives built for them by the Skoda Works, a well-known Czechoslovakian firm. In 1918 Lithuanian independence was restored, and in 1919 the Lithuanian government concluded an agreement with Germany on the handover of the railway assets to the Ministry of Transport. The main line from Panevezys to Rokiskis is met by another light railway that runs south from Suvainiskiai on the Latvian border through Pandelys and Skapiskis, south of which is the junction. During Soviet times all of the Baltic states railways were managed from Riga. The freight total for 1933-34 was 1,926,000 tons. In addition to the new railway from Schavli to Kretinga, an important light railway runs eastward from this town to Staciunai and thence on to Pakruojis, after which the line branches, one spur going north to Linkuva, the other proceeding eastward to Joniskelis, and thence on to Pasvalys. Its total weight is 63 tons and has an overall length of 51 ft. Haapsalu, on the west coast and sixty-four miles from Tallinn, is one of the best-known summer resorts on the Baltic because of its mild climate, its beach, and its curative mud. Nearly 170 of these are built to the standard gauge. Country Guides France Germany. Lithuanian Railways (Lithuanian: Lietuvos geležinkeliai) is the national, state-owned railway company of Lithuania. From Türi a narrow-gauge line goes south to Moisaküla (sixty miles), and then north-west to Pärnu (ninety-three miles) connecting at Riisselja (seventy-six miles) with another line, thirty miles long, which goes south-west to the coast at Ikla on the border of Latvia. Trains in Lithuania are mainly operated by AB 'LG Keleiviams'. Of the 422 passenger train vehicles, over 300 are standard gauge, while of goods vehicles there are over 3,900 standard gauge and about 500 narrow-gauge wagons and vans. This is not particularly fast running for a distance of only 183 miles; but, for a night journey at least, it has its good points. During the winter icebreakers maintain channels of navigation in Tallinn Harbour; the average number of days in the year when the sea is frozen over is forty-five. In 2019 Lithuanian Railways celebrates the 100-year anniversary since the start of independent train operations in the Baltic state. The Narva and other rivers provide a certain amount of power for factories, about 25,000 horse-power being obtained in this way. The upper part was made of bricks (stonework),the lower part, which is used as a basement… It is designed to haul loads of 300 tons up 1 in 62 grades, with curves, at 12½ mph. A must-see is Trakai Island Castle, just outside of Vilnius, on Lake Galve. Lithuania intends to electrify the entire East-West railway corridor, from Belarus border to Klaipėda. During the years after World War I, Lithuanian Railways reconstructed the tracks, connecting them into a complete network. It is believed that, at any rate as far as the State Railway is concerned, there is not a single 4-4-0 express locomotive at work in Germany to-day, following upon the comprehensive scheme of standardization carried out since the war. The line to Pärnu proceeds past Rapla to Lelle, forty-five miles from the capital and an important junction, and goes south, via Papiniidu, forty-three miles from Lelle. Before the war about 14,000 men were employed in the Russian naval yards and in the railway carriage works, but when Estonia became a republic the Russian work ceased. The distance from Tallinn to Narva is 130 miles on this broad-gauge line Tallinn is a city of steeples and towers, and has railway, sea, and air communications with the rest of Europe. The railways of the country suffered greatly during the war of 1914-1918, and considerable reconstruction was necessary. In 1851, the government of Russia made the decision to build the Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway. [4] A 179 km 750 mm (2 ft 5 1⁄2 in) narrow gauge network, listed as an object of cultural heritage, was split off into a separate company Aukštaitijos Siaurasis Geležinkelis in 2001. Oil shale is still used in a pulverized form for goods engines, but passenger locomotives burn oil produced from the shale. The maximum fine for the Lithuanian railway company is expected to be an estimated EUR 35 million. Dining and sleeping cars are found on the main routes, and on the narrow gauge lines hot meals are provided at certain stations where the trains make sufficiently lengthy stops. A large generating plant is under consideration. Say hello to the only railway museum in Lithuania – its situated in Vilnius, at the city’s train station and it offers a thorough look into the past of the country’s railways. The routes from London are via Harwich, Flushing, Berlin and Riga, via Dover, Calais, Brussels and Berlin, and via Dover, Ostend, Brussels, and Berlin; all the lines pass through the Latvian capital of Riga. In Estonia the passenger may have to be content with one small window, from which it is difficult to watch the passing scenery; nevertheless the carriages are comfortable. As there is no coal in the country the development of the industry of extracting oil from shale has solved the fuel problem of the railways. The express is a sleeping car train carrying first-, second-, and third- class passengers. Interrail Lithuania Pass. On the line to Narva and the Russian border the most important junction is at Tapa (forty-eight miles from Tallinn), where the line from Riga joins it. City Guides Amsterdam Berlin London Paris All City Guides. From Petseri to Valga the distance is sixty miles. THE railways of Estonia are, with few exceptions, owned and managed by the State. Now and then in the newspapers, we read about trade being carried on by barter between certain European countries, but it may occasion surprise to learn that a recent batch of narrow-gauge locomotives, ordered from the Czechoslovakian Skoda Works by the Lithuanian State Railways, were paid for with their value in native Lithuanian geese. Instead, therefore, of making invidious comparisons between them and the big systems of Western Europe, we should rather applaud, and indeed wonder at, the magnificent way in which their respective administrations have evolved complete order out of the chaos caused by the Russian retreat, the pre-war Russian methods, and the sad disintegration caused by war conditions. Domestic trains in Lithuania: Trains in Lithuania are mainly operated by LGT Link. Just like with many other things, it would have been better to have a single standardized gauge everywhere, but, for historical reasons, different countries use different gauges. It is bordered on the north by the Gulf of Finland, on the west by the Baltic and the Gulf of Riga, and on the south by Latvia. The story of Estonia is interesting. In the old days of the Great Western broad gauge in England, the difference was too great to allow for anything of this kind to be evolved in a practical form even had it occurred to anyone. The tunnel's diameter has the shape of a horseshoe. At this point travellers formerly began the long south-westerly detour almost as far as the east Prussian border before their train again turned north-west to its destination on the Baltic Sea. The Interrail Global Pass is the flexible and budget-friendly way to get around up to 33 countries in Europe. The railway goes to Valk, or Valga L, on the Latvian side of the border, and on to Riga. At that time, the entire route was effectively under Russian control, so the line was built to the Russian gauge of 1524mm. Many of the locomotives in Estonia are of Russian origin. Kovno has a romantic story and is supposed to have been founded about the thirteenth century. In Lithuania, as in Germany and Great Britain, the compartments have three windows - including that in the door - on either side, or a single large window, with entrance at the end of the coach. The practice itself is remarkable: the company dismantled 19 km of railway connecting Lithuania and Latvia to prevent a major customer from using the services of a competitor. The most important river is the Narva, which flows from Lake Peipus. Hundreds of these engines were handed over as reparations to various countries after the war. The Berlin-Kaunas run, which is quite creditable considering the fact that three frontiers have to be crossed, occupies a day; the train spends the rest of the night reaching Riga in the manner just described. Other industries were begun after the war, including those manufacturing chocolate, sweets, biscuits, and cigarettes. In Belgium, as we have seen in the chapter beginning on page 809, the Germans were able to bring in their own great reserves of rolling stock and locomotives to work the railways in the invaded territory. After years of warfare the Estonians were faced with the grim necessity of evolving a modern railway system from the ruins of the old. When the German army occupied Lithuania in 1915, the railway became the main supplier of food stuff and ammunition for the German army. Media in category "Rail transport in Lithuania" The following 3 files are in this category, out of 3 total. SHALE OIL is the standard fuel for locomotives in Estonia and makes for economical working. The town has now about 5,000 inhabitants. Above is a 2-8-0 engine, one of the some hundred locomotives in operation on the narrow gauge lines. On the Baltic this was at first impossible, as the German stock would not run on the 5 ft gauge lines. Rapla, thirty-four miles south of Tallinn, is the junction for various towns on this system, which serves the country south and south-west of the capital. The construction was surveyed by the French engineer G. F. Perrot, as well as Polish-Lithuanian engineer Stanisław Kierbedź. The museum consists of an indoor exhibition hall, a gallery and other interactive rooms. Letters/Numbers grid added on the side of the map. The Lithuanian State Railways have in operation on their lines some 245 locomotives. About a mile from the town is the Estonian National Museum at Raadi, which houses paintings and sculpture. In Lithuania the best trains run at night. Lithuania has chosen to electrify using 25 kV 50 Hz AC. Not only do the oil and shale provide fuel for the country, but also considerable quantities of crude oil and petrol, distilled in the country, are exported. Narva, 130 miles from Tallinn, is an ancient city on the Narva River, with an Estonian castle and a Russian fortress. The third-class coaches have wooden seats, but they are well designed and not uncomfortable for journeys of limited duration. A reference to the map will show the difference that this new line has made to the means of communication between Lithuania’s capital and its outlet to the sea. Snowplough and headlights are the same as later 2M62 have. In the spring, when the ice of the rivers is thawing, the water-. Bridges were blown up on the retreat in the approved manner, and things made generally as inconvenient as possible for the advancing enemy. Since the war a new broad-gauge line has been built from Tartu south-east to Petseri (fifty-four miles), which is on the international line from Valga to Pskov, in Russia, the Estonian border town being Irboska, fourteen miles from Petseri. THE RAILWAY SYSTEM of Lithuania consists of 755. miles of standard gauge track and 317 miles of narrow-gauge rural light railways. The shore below the bank is composed of fine white sand. Vilnius Railway Station is the largest station in the country and the main hub for rail traffic. Peat, also developed since the war, is consumed at power stations from which the current is taken all over Estonia. Income generated from the transportation of passengers by railways is smaller than the costs sustained. Tour the capital, Vilnius, and stroll the cobblestone streets of Old Town. THE RAILWAY SYSTEM of Lithuania consists of 755 miles of standard gauge track and 317 miles of narrow-gauge rural light railways. Sonda (eighty-one miles) is a junction for a branch to Aseri, likewise on the north coast, and also for a narrow gauge line which goes south to Mustvee. The Lithuanians have found the modern light rail-car an invaluable asset to their secondary passenger traffic on rural and branch lines, and numbers of excellent little Diesel rail-cars with electrical transmission have recently been placed in service. The total area is 18,370 square miles and the population at the census of March 1, 1934, was 1,126,413. The Memel territory did not pass to Lithuania until 1923, and before the construction of the new line, access from the capital was really difficult, necessitating a long and tiresome journey down to the German frontier near Tilsit, on the main line to Berlin and the west of Europe. railway translation in English-Lithuanian dictionary. Helpful. ln their limited sphere the Baltic railways do their work well and efficiently. This network of narrow-gauge railways south and south-west of Tallinn is thus extensive, and not only affords easy access to the resorts on the coast, but also serves the farming community inland. You can read more on “Poland’s Main Lines”, “Russia and Siberia” and “The State Lines of Latvia” on this website. [6], Locomotives and trainsets for use on Lithuanian Railways' main network (excluding Panevezys-Rubikiai narrow gauge line) include:[7]. For construction works has been hired Ernest Goüin et Cie. company from Paris. Above is a typical excursion train in southern Estonia. news Rail Baltica carries out site investigations for line expansion. Electrification is used only for commuter traffic between Vilnius - Kaunas, Vilnius - Trakai and Vilnius - Minsk as well from late 2017. UP-TO-DATE PASSENGER ROLLING STOCK is to be found in Estonia. Check it out here! Estonia next had to fight German adventurers under General von der Goltz, who were trying to use the pretext of fighting Bolshevism as an excuse for annexing the Baltic States. Another still more recent line, dating from 1932, is that between Kuziai, north-west of Schlavi, and Kretinga, north of Klaipedii (Memel). [From part 41, published 8 November 1935], [Read the previous article in this part]     [Read the next article in this part]. carriages are comfortably fitted out. Where to go What's On In Europe European Attractions. Explore Lithuania, bordered by Belarus, Latvia, Poland, Russia, and the Baltic Sea. Lithuania passenger rail map Lithuanian passenger railway services scheme with times necessary to get between stations marked. Lithuania Rail Travel Map showing major locations and routes through the country. But any such view would reckon without the war of 1914-18. imposing. The country is one of the republics that have arisen after the war of 1914-18 and after having fought a war of liberation. Tallinn lies on the north coast; Narva, in the east, is near the Russian frontier, and on the broad gauge line to Leningrad. Pärnu lies on the Gulf of Riga. The railway station at Tallinn was built by the Russians. Another line goes east from Lelle to Türi (ten miles) and then north-east to Tamsalu, where it links with the trunk line from Tallinn to Tartu, as stated earlier in this chapter. The night express from Kaunas to Riga arrives at Riga at ten minutes to seven in the morning, having left the Lithuanian capital at ten o’clock the previous night. In 1991, the railways of the Baltic region were once again divided into separate railway companies. It was not revealed how many geese paid for one engine, but, bearing in mind the price of even a small tank engine, the cackling army must have been. Founded by a Danish king in 1219 and held successively by Danes, Germans, Swedes and Russians, its history is reflected in its architecture. Timber accounted for nearly half this total, being followed by oil shale, pulp, plywood, fertilizers, and peat. The bigger saw-mills are in Tallinn, Narva, Pärnu, and Tartu, and boards and boxes are exported; the timber industry accounts for nearly half the goods traffic on the railways. This is museum is about history and present of Lithuanian railways. The line included a stretch from Daugavpils–Vilnius–Kaunas–Virbalis which was started in 1858 and finished in 1860. Pärnu is a model town and an important port. The largest of the Baltic islands included in Estonian territory are. The city was the object of considerable strife, in the fourteenth century, between the Lithuanians and the Knights of the Teutonic Order. On the broad gauge lines there are some 280 carriages in operation, and on the narrow gauge, 139. Lithuania, with Kovno, came under the domination of Poland in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and became the centre of the export trade from the two countries to Russia. It is ninety miles from Tallinn on the narrow-gauge system, and is connected with Valga and with Latvia by other lines. Kaunas railway tunnel was built from 1859 till 1861. By means of high-tension lines totalling ninety-six miles in length, and with the aid of thirty-eight transforming stations, power and light are supplied to a number of towns and to thousands of farms; this plant produces twenty-two per cent of the total output of the country. Kaunas, or Kovno, is an important centre of Lithuania’s railway system. Here are miles of sandy beach bordered by pine forests. It was this which gravely hampered Russia in the war; then, as in the earlier war with Japan, her railway and transport system generally gave way completely, while the Germans were past-masters in the use of railways for strategic purposes, and in the art of making something out of nothing. 3-car formation adapted from DR1A. From Rakvere (sixty-four miles), a branch goes to Kunda on the north coast. Rail lines are the length of railway route available for train service, irrespective of … the Lithuanian railways); no single Lithuanian railway passenger died during the last fifteen years, etc. The trains generally stop at all stations. With a reserve of water power to generate electricity, and with vast deposits of peat and oil shale, Estonia does not need to import oil or fuel. Example of later nose shape could be found at DR1AM line in this table. Passenger traffic amounted in 1933-4 to 7,843,000 passengers, although this figure is not as large as that for 1929-30, which was the peak year before the depression. Altogether, the Lithuanian cars, built in Germany, are much pleasanter vehicles to travel in than the ex-Russian coaches in Estonia; for, though the latter are roomy and lofty, they are built with a stern economy in the matter of window space, and the effect of an average interior is somewhat depressing. Though there are few expresses on the Estonian railways, and speed, judged by West European standards, is not high, railway travel is comfortable as well as inexpensive. The traveller and consignments of goods leave Kaunas in a north-easterly direction as far as Jonavna, from which point the line runs north-west to the important junction of Radviliskis. The first railway in the country was built in 1870 between Tallinn and Narva, as part of the Russian Imperial plan to link Tallinn (Reval as it then was) with what was then St. Petersburg and the capital of Russia and is now Leningrad. Equipped with new, This page was last edited on 18 December 2020, at 13:15. The standard to achieve is dual track 240 km/h design speed electrified railway line from Polish/Lithuanian border to Kaunas, from Kaunas reaching Vilnius and Riga. In the south and south-east the tree-clad hills are divided by deep valleys and chains of lakes. The new lines are of both broad and narrow gauges. Updated version of 2M62 based on newer DM62 design. The trunk line goes south-east to Tartu, which is 118 miles. A NEW RAILWAY BRIDGE over the Pärnu River. This oil is very economical, and on this account the train fares are claimed to be among the lowest in Europe. Line Mazeikiai (Lithuania) - Renge (Latvia) closed, removed from the map (Square B3). In Lithuania, as on the standard gauge lines in the south of Latvia, Prussian-built 4-4-0 passenger locomotives are in evidence on main-line workings. The Museum has over 10,000 pieces in its collection, including authentic artifacts and models. Since 1919, 362 bridges, sixty-five stations, and 255 miles of new lines have been constructed in Estonia. After leaving Tapa on this line there is a junction at Tamsalu, nine miles from Tapa and fifty-seven miles from Tallinn, with a narrow-gauge line running to Türi, thirty-eight miles south-west. In 5- and 6-car formations. The well-known Prussian “P8” class 4-6-0 general service loco-motives, which in their day have been one of the best all-round classes on the Continent, have naturally penetrated to Lithuania. Subclass 2M62UM have new engines. Lithuanian Railway Network. The first line in Estonia was opened in 187O between Tallinn and Narva. en The product concerned is as defined in the original investigation: Certain iron or steel fasteners, other than of stainless steel, i.e. There is a direct train connection from Vilnius airport to this central station 18 times a day, which takes 8 minutes and costs EUR 0.70. After all, slowness on a night train has its compensations over relatively short distances, for it often means that the passenger leaves the train at a fairly comfortable hour in the morning instead of in the small hours. To-day the engineering industry of the country employs about 3,500 workers. Two different shapes of nose were built in different time (the older one is shown here). The times are approximate but fast and slow trains in Lithuania do not deviate that much from each other, so you shouldn't expect the real travel time to be more than 20% longer or shorter than specified here. Twin-section version of M62. The water of the sheltered bay often has a temperature of between 70 and 80 degrees F, which is almost that of the ocean in the tropics, and the climate in summer is mild, the temperature varying but little. It is only fair to add that by far the fastest running is that behind the German State Railway locomotives through the Polish Corridor and East Prussia. This 0-10-0 locomotive of the Lithuanian State Railways runs on a gauge of 2 ft. 6 in. Vilnius Railway Station is the largest station in the country, and the main hub for rail traffic. This city is built in picturesque surroundings on a tongue of land between the Viliya and the Niemen, where the river banks are about 200 ft high. A COUNTRY STATION in Estonia, of modern design. In the Western countries there are hardly several segments where the passenger transportation activity is … In summer steamers go from Narva to the resort of Narva-Jõesuu, at the mouth of the river, about an hour’s journey. A year after the publication of this video, I decided to make another video about my hometown of Vilnius. This the Germans, when they occupied the country, succeeded in doing, with the help of their own numerous locomotives and vehicles. In 2006 Lithuanian Railways transported 6.2 million passengers and 50 million tonnes of freight. "Naujas „Lietuvos geležinkelių" rekordas – pernai uždirbti 57 mln. View Interrail Lithuania Pass Interrail Global Pass. The museum is a part of Vilnius railway station, a historic building built in 1861. As one-fifth of the country is covered by forests the timber industry employs many hands Coniferous trees are worked up in sawmills and pulp mills, birch is used for plywood and cabinet making, and aspen is made into matches. From Riga 2, lithuania railway history treaty was made with Russia on February 2, 1920 118 miles length. As reparations to various countries after the war, including those manufacturing chocolate, sweets, biscuits, things! 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