Latvia’s passenger rail operator says there are no alternatives in the bloc for servicing Soviet-era trains
FILE PHOTO. A train in the Central station of Riga, Latvia. © Getty Images / Massimo Borchi; Atlantide Phototravel
Latvia’s passenger rail operator has asked the government not to ban the purchase of spare train parts from Russia and Belarus, stressing that it is impossible to find alternative sources of parts for Soviet-era trains, the news outlet TVNET reported on Sunday.
The request comes as the parliamentary budget and finance committee is considering amendments to the country’s procurement law that would make it illegal for Latvian companies to purchase goods and services from Russia and Belarus.
According to TVNET, the Latvian rail operator, Pasazieru Vilciens (PV), has submitted a letter to lawmakers asking them to exclude spare train parts from the draft law, warning that failure to do so could have a drastic effect on the country’s public transport system.
Currently, Latvia uses diesel trains, electric trains, low-floor electric trains, and shunting diesel locomotives for public transport.
PV has stated that while it is looking for alternatives, many spare parts for these trains simply cannot be procured from EU countries because they “do not meet the technical specifications and production projects of spare parts for old trains.”
“Unless there is a reasonable exception, PV will be able to operate the rolling stock it owns and operates only until it has a balance of spare parts at its disposal, which in some cases will be used up already in the spring of this year,” the company wrote in its letter, according toTVNET.
If an exception is not made, PV says it will be forced to reduce the number of trains, and the company “will not have available rolling stock to ensure safe and continuous public transport services.”
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Meanwhile, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina has argued that an “iron curtain” will eventually have to be lowered between the Baltic states and Russia and Belarus, and has called for ensuring economic and energy independence from Moscow.
Russia has shrugged off the Silina’s suggestion, with Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova musing that Latvia would not even have enough iron to create such a “curtain” without buying it from Russia.
While Latvia has been one of the most outspoken advocates of imposing EU sanctions on Russian imports to show solidarity with Ukraine, Riga has nevertheless continued to boost purchases of grain from Russia. In the first quarter of 2024, the Baltic state increased its agricultural imports from Russia by almost 40% compared to last year, according to the Latvian customs agency.
