Estonia, Latvia, Railways, Transport

Economy ministry railways service head Indrek Laineveer said that the ministry is working in the name of it being possible to travel once a day from Riga to Tartu and Tallinn and vice versa, with a switch of trains in Valga from the beginning of 2010 or next summer latest. Negotiations are being held with Latvians to make it happen.

"It is evident that initially it will not be possible to travel from Tartu to Riga and back on the same day," said Laineveer.

Starting October 19, bus company Arilix will launch bus route Valga-Tartu that departs at 17.30 every day and waits for the Riga train that arrives at 17.11.

The state is coordinating with Edelaraudtee passenger trains schedule according to which a train from Valga to Tartu would depart at around 16.30 or a maximum of 15 minutes alter. Laineveer said that it is very complicated to postpone the departure of the Edelaraudtee train by 45 minutes but he expressed hope that Latvia's company Pasazieru Vilciens agrees to shift the departure of its train from Riga to an earlier time. The train that arrives in Valga at 17.11 departs from Riga at 13.54.

Fitting together morning trains would need similar adjustments from the train companies but even bigger compromises by Latvians. The train from Tartu to Valga is planned to depart at around 10 a.m., the train from Valga to Riga departs at 10.27 at present.

"We are trying to adjust the train times. This would be the first step in developing Rail Baltica which is the common aim of us and the Latvians," said Laineveer.