Transport in Latvia


This article provides an overview of the transport infrastructure of Latvia.

Road system

It is mandatory to keep headlights on while driving, even in daylight; most cars commercially sold in Latvia are equipped to make this automatic.

Highways

NumberE-roadRouteLength
A1Rīga - Ainaži 101
A2Rīga - Sigulda - Veclaicene 196
A3Inčukalns - Valmiera - Valka 101
A4 Rīga ring road 20
A5 Rīga ring road 40
A6 Rīga - Daugavpils - Krāslava - Pāternieki 307
A7Rīga - Bauska - Grenctāle 85
A8Rīga - Jelgava - Meitene 76
A9Rīga - Skulte - Liepāja199
A10Rīga - Ventspils190
A11Liepāja - Rucava 57
A12 Jēkabpils - Rēzekne - Ludza - Terehova 166
A13Grebņeva - Rēzekne - Daugavpils - Medumi 163
A14Daugavpils ring road 15
A15Rēzekne ring road7

Length of the road system

Railways

is the main state-owned railway company in Latvia. Its daughter companies both carry out passengers services as well as carry a large quantity of freight cargo, and freight trains operate over the whole current passenger network, and a number of lines currently closed to passenger services.
There is also a narrow gauge railway between Gulbene and Aluksne, operated by the Industrial Heritage Trust, using Russian and Polish built heritage rolling stock. Three narrow gauge trains a day operate on the 33 km route between the two towns.
total:
2,347 km
Russian gauge:
2,314 km gauge
narrow gauge:
33 km gauge

Passenger Train

is a daughter company of Latvian Railways and the only passenger-carrying company in Latvia.
Domestic passenger lines with current service are:
is the only major airport in Latvia, carrying around 5 million passengers annually. It is the largest airport in the Baltic states and has direct flights to over 80 destinations in 30 countries. It is also the main hub of airBaltic.
In the recent years airBaltic also operated from Liepāja International Airport as well as Ventspils International Airport but operations in both of these airports were ceased until 2017, when airBaltic relaunched flights from Riga to Liepaja.
Currently there are plans for further development in several regional airports, including Jūrmala Airport, Liepāja, Ventspils as well as Daugavpils International Airport.

Airfields

As of 2003, there were a total of 51 airfields in Latvia, with 27 of them having paved runways.
Airports - with paved runways
total:
27
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1,524 to 2,437 m:
914 to 1,523 m:
under 914 m:
16
Airports - with unpaved runways
total:
24
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1,523 to 2,438 m:
914 to 1,523 m:
under 914 m:
20

Ports and harbors

Key ports are located in Riga, Ventspils, and Liepāja. Most transit traffic uses these and half the cargo is crude oil and oil products.

Waterways

300 km

Pipelines

412 km; refined products 421 km; natural gas 1,097 km

Merchant marine

total:
11 ships totaling /
note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 1, Greece 1, Ukraine 1
ships by type:
cargo ship 6, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 2, roll-on/roll-off ship 1, short-sea/passenger 1