Comparison of infrastructure charges in the Baltic states

Comparison of railway infrastructure charges in the Baltic States is based on the latest information on infrastructure charging rates published on the websites of infrastructure managers. Considering that the parameters and application procedures of these charges differ across countries, the comparison is made based on calculations that determine the average costs (in euros) per train-kilometer in each country and market segment, using assumptions about the technical parameters of rolling stock. These technical parameters are defined according to the rolling stock used in freight and passenger transport in Latvia.  For freight transport, the calculation uses the approximate tare weight, net cargo weight, and gross weight of various wagons (such as cisterns, platforms, open wagons, hopper wagons, etc.) used in different market segments. The calculation assumes that domestic and EEA traffic uses 40-wagon train compositions (except for wood chip cargoes, which use 30 wagons), while transport to/from third countries (1520 international traffic) uses 54-wagon train compositions. It is assumed that the distance traveled by the train in domestic and EEA transport is 150 km, while in international 1520 traffic it is 250 km. Similarly, for passenger transport, the gross weight of passenger train rolling stock (3 and 4 wagon compositions) used in Latvia is used in the calculation. For passenger transport, it is assumed that the distance traveled by the train in both domestic and international transport is 100 km.

Differences in charges for the use of railway infrastructure in the Baltic States arise due to differing approaches to attributing infrastructure costs to various services provided by infrastructure managers, as well as due to the applicable infrastructure charge mark-up coefficients, which are determined by the market's ability to pay for the service. It is important to note that, in accordance with the Railway Law and AS "LatRailNet" regulations No. JALP-7.6/01-2017 "Charging Scheme" dated June 30, 2017, the charges for the use of public railway infrastructure in Latvia includes the charge of the minimum access package and the charges of access to public railway infrastructure connecting the railway infrastructure with service facilities (i.e., charges for access to railway junction infrastructure). Meanwhile, in other Member States, different service boundaries between various services provided by infrastructure managers may be defined within the limits allowed by the legal framework.

Information sources: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia