Narrow gauge railways in Latvia

Narrow gauge train at Alūksne.

Around 1935 narrow gauge railways consisted of 536 km (335 miles) of 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁵⁄₈ in) narrow gauge, 432 km (270 miles) of 750 mm (2 ft 5 ¹⁄₂ in) narrow gauge, and 48 km (30 miles) of meter gauge.^[1][2]

One public, one museum and some industrial peat railways survive.

Common Carrier

Track gauges are 750 mm (2 ft 5 ¹⁄₂ in) narrow gauge unless otherwise specified.

• First Russian Supply Railway Company
• Valka–Rūjiena–Mõisaküla–Pärnu, branch of the Gulbene Line
• Liepāja–Alsunga line, 67 km, opened in 1932, extended to Kuldīga (20 km)
• Liepāja–Rucava line, 52 km, 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁵⁄₈ in) narrow gauge military line, converted to 750 mm (2 ft 5 ¹⁄₂ in) narrow gauge
• Liepāja–Aizpute railway, 48 km.
• Livonian Supply Railway Company
  • Gulbene line, Pļaviņas–Gulbene–Alūksne–Ape–Mõniste–Valga, 202 km, opened in 1903, partially closed in stages.
• Pāle–Staicele, 16 km, opened 1927
• Puikule–Aloja, 12 km.
• Riisselja–Ainaži, 76 km, closed 1975.
• Valmiera supply railway company, 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁵⁄₈ in) narrow gauge, 1912:
  • Valmiera–Smiltene, 32 km, closed 1969.
  • Valmiera–Ainaži Harbour, 83 km, closed in 1979.
• Wolmar supply railway at Valmiera.

Peat railway

The peat companies mainly use 750 mm (2 ft 5 ¹⁄₂ in) narrow gauge, but there also exists 700 mm (2 ft 3 ⁹⁄₁₆ in) and 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁵⁄₈ in) narrow gauge railways.

• Peat railway based at Dauguli
• Peat railway based at Ozoli

Other

• There is an historic train in Ventspils. The track gauge is 600 mm (1 ft 11 ⁵⁄₈ in) narrow gauge and the length is a 2 km circle. The locomotives are former "Brigadelok" steam locomotives. From 1918 until the early 1960s they ran a regular service from Ventspils along the coast to Mazirbe and further down to Talsi and Stende.
• The Riga Pioneer Railway, 2 km long, was in existence from 1956 to 1997.

References