Increase in Passenger Transportation, Decline in Freight Transportation observed in Latvia during 2024
In Latvia, the landscape of passenger and freight transport underwent some shifts in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Passenger Transport
The number of licensed passenger transport operators saw a slight decrease from 1,716 in 2023 to 1,684 in 2024. This reduction was also reflected in the number of passenger vehicles performing national transport operations, which decreased from 619 in 2023 to 611 in 2024. The number of international passenger transport operators with rights to perform national operations also decreased, from 435 in 2023 to 431 in 2024. The quantity of licensed buses or coaches also showed a slight decrease over this period, with numbers ranging from 422 to 431/435.
Freight Transport
In contrast, the data shows the number of international freight transport operators holding rights for national freight operations remained relatively stable. However, no explicit quantitative freight transport volumes or modal split changes for freight besides operator numbers are provided in the results for Latvia between 2023 and 2024.
The volume of coals loaded at ports in 2024 decreased by 68.4%, while the number of passengers carried by rail transport saw a 13.9% increase. Export and import freight transport by rail decreased by 50.3% and 28.1% respectively. The number of passengers carried by trolleybuses increased by 1.7%, but the volume of freights loaded at ports decreased by 24.2%.
The transportation of freights via Latvian ports decreased by 35.2% compared to 2023, comprising 6.9 million tonnes. Goods in transit by rail decreased by 12.7%. In international traffic, the volume of freight transported by rail decreased by 32.8%.
The volume of freights loaded at ports increased by 1.3%, with a 3.9% increase in volume of freights in containers. However, the volume of unloaded freights at ports decreased by 24.2%, with a 17.6% decrease in volume of unloaded freights in containers.
In 2024, the number of passengers carried by road transport decreased by 3.1% compared to 2023, with 191.2 million tonnes of freights transported. National freights by rail in 2024 increased by 9.9%, comprising 1.8 million tonnes. Cross-trade and cabotage freights by road in 2024 increased by 34.2%, while transportation of international freights by road increased by 13.6%.
Additional context from the EU suggests ongoing efforts to enhance interoperability and revisions in railway technical standards (TSI), including passenger coaches and freight wagons, potentially impacting rail freight and passenger services in Latvia and neighboring countries starting in 2024. However, specific direct impact on Latvian freight volumes or transport modal shifts are not detailed in the search data.
Other Notable Changes
- At Ventspils port, passenger turnover in 2024 was 258.6 thousand passengers, a 9.9% decrease from 2023. At Liepāja port, passenger turnover increased by 12.1%.
- 360 thousand passengers arrived at and departed from Ventspils and Liepāja ports with ferries, a 4.6% decrease from 2023.
- The number of passengers carried by trams increased by 12.7% in 2024. Ferry traffic at Riga Passenger Terminal has been closed since 2021.
In summary, while the number of passenger transport operators and vehicles decreased in 2024, the changes in freight transport volumes and modal shifts are not as clear-cut based on the available data. Ongoing EU-level policy and technical standard updates may influence future developments in rail transport, but specific Latvian metrics for 2023-2024 are not yet available. For more detailed freight volume data or specific modal shifts, specialized transport statistics sources may be required.
- Despite the decrease in passenger transport operators and vehicles, the finance industry might find new opportunities in the transportation sector, given the ongoing efforts to enhance interoperability and revisions in railway technical standards in the EU, which could potentially impact rail freight and passenger services, providing potential growth areas for investment.
- In the context of the Latvian industry, the decreasing volume of coals loaded at ports suggests a financial impact on the mining and coal transportation sector, while the increasing volume of freights in containers indicates a growth trend in container shipping, possibly requiring more investments in this area of transportation.
