The public use railway infrastructure in Latvia is freely accessible and open for carrying freight and passengers by rail, as well as for performing technological processes. All carriers that have obtained a carrier’s licence and the safety certificate, and have submitted an application for the use of infrastructure capacity to the JSC "LatRailNet", may qualify for the use of the railway infrastructure capacity.
AS LatRailNet takes decisions on the charges for the use of public rail infrastructure and capacity allocation on the basis of the equality principle and the requirements of the optimal use of rail infrastructure. In performing its functions, AS "LatRailNet" has a duty to ensure equal, fair and non-discriminating access to railway infrastructure to all carriers. For example, carriers, that provide equal rail services under equal conditions, are charged equally for the use of public railway infrastructure and equal evaluation criteria is set when allocating capacity.
In Latvia the capacity of the public railway infrastructure is used by two passenger and three freight carriers.
Network Statement (available here) provides detailed information to railway undertakings interested in operating on public-use railway infrastructure managed by SJSC "Latvian Railway" (reg. no. 40003032065). Network Statement is intended mainly for applicants for railway infrastructure capacity enabling freight and passenger operators to prepare a request for capacity for the corresponding timetable period. Networks statement provides general information about network, describes access conditions, including an operating licence and a safety certificate describes capacity allocation procedure, defines services included in the basic services package and additional services for which separate contracts have to be signed and describes charging principles and services included in the charge.
