Railways in Lithuania: from Tsarist Russia to Rail Baltica
Abstract
Lithuania is a transit country. It is a small but significant territory between East and West. This fact is substantiated by the history of the country railways, which started when Tsarist Russia launched the construction of the railway between Saint-Petersburg and Warsaw. There is not much research into the history of railways in Russia, also in Lithuania. Besides, not all available information is reliable due to the nihilistic attitudes towards Tsarism of that time. Only some of the railways in the former Soviet Union were written and talked about. The history of the Lithuania railway is not an exception. Different written sources provide a variety of dates for the first railway to be built in Lithuania. They mirror varied events in the history of Lithuanian railways, thus all of them must be taken into consideration. The article presents the evolution of Lithuanian railway transport from Tsarist Russia to Rail Baltica, which is the European railway project currently implemented in Lithuania. The article discusses the world’s first railways including the ones in Tsarist Russia when the history of Lithuanian railways started. The article also considers the building of the first railway in Lithuania, construction of railway stations, setting the transportation tariffs, selection of railway employees. The author of the article employs historical and online resources as well as a long-standing personal experience in railway transport. The research into Tsar Family’s diaries and historical novels makes it possible to disclose the facts that are not widely known. The author considers the future of Lithuania with reference to the construction of the European railway Rail Baltica. The article would be useful for the readers who are interested in the historical development and future of Lithuanian railways.
Keyword : the world’s first railways, Saint-Petersburg–Warsaw railway, Lithuania, railway station Verzhbolovo, Rail Baltica, transport history, Lithuanian railways
How to Cite
Maskeliūnaitė, L. (2021). Railways in Lithuania: from Tsarist Russia to Rail Baltica. Transport, 36(4), 364-375. https://doi.org/10.3846/transport.2021.16086
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
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Sivilevičius, H.; Maskeliūnaitė, L. 2019. The model assessing the impact of price and provided services on the quality of the trip by train: MCDM approach, E&M Economics and Management 22(2): 51–67. https://doi.org/10.15240/tul/001/2019-2-004
Sivilevičius, H.; Maskeliūnaitė, L.; Petkevičienė, B.; Petkevičius, K. 2012. The model of evaluating the criteria, describing the quality of organization and technology of travel by international train, Transport 27(3): 307–319. https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2012.724448
Vaičiūnas, G.; Steišūnas, S.; Bureika, G. 2021. Specification of estimation of a passenger car ride smoothness under various exploitation conditions, Eksploatacja i Niezawodność – Maintenance and Reliability 23(4): 719–725. https://doi.org/10.17531/ein.2021.4.14
Vanagas, J. 2017. Konkė: the first public transport in Vilnius, Transport 32(1): 94–100. https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2016.1167124
Veidas.lt. 2010. Išnykusių carinių sienų pėdsakai. Available from Internet: http://www.veidas.lt/isnykusiu-cariniu-sienu-pedsakai (in Lithuanian).
Venclova, T. 2019. Lietuvos istorija visiems. II tomas. Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla. 384 p. (in Lithuanian).
Zygar, M. 2020. Imperija turi mirti: Rusijos revoliucijų istorija veikėjų akimis, 1900–1917. Vilnius: Kitos knygos. 568 p. (in Lithuanian).
Žeimantas, L. V. 2003. Sankt Peterburgo – Varšuvos geležinkelis 1858–1915. Vilnius: Gelspa. 249 p. (in Lithuanian).
Wikipedia. 2021a. Kybartų geležinkelio stotis. Available from Internet: https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kybart%C5%B3_gele%C5%BEinkelio_stotis (in Lithuanian).
Wikipedia. 2021b. Shirina kolei. Available from Internet: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ширина_колеи (in Russian).
ERA. 2020. Report on Railway Safety and Interoperability in the EU. European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). 116 p. https://doi.org/10.2821/30980
EC. 2019. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – The European Green Deal. COM/2019/640 final. 11/12/2019, Brussels, European Commission (EC). Available from Internet: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2019:640:FIN
EC. 2021. European Year of Rail. European Commission (EC). Available from Internet: https://europa.eu/year-of-rail/index_en
Gailienė, I. 2012. Investigation into the calculation of superelevation defects on conventional rail lines, Transport 27(3): 229–236. https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2012.719198
Horvatova, E. V. 2011. Nikolaj II. Lichnaja zhizn’ imperatora. AST-Press. 696 s. (in Russian).
Hrustalev, V. M. 2008. Dnevniki Nikolaja II i imperatricy Aleksandry Fedorovny. 1917–1918. Vagrius. 1280 s. (in Russian).
Husainov, F. 2021. Sozdanie pervoj zheleznoj dorogi v Rossii: kak vse bylo na samom dele. Available from Internet: https://spec.rzd-partner.ru/page1907927.html (in Russian).
ID. 2021. Peterburgo-Varshavskaja zheleznaja doroga. Inovacionnyj dajdzhest (ID): vsjo samoe interesnoe o zheleznoj doroge. Available from Internet: http://www.rzd-expo.ru/history/petersburg-warshaw_railway/ (in Russian).
Ivaškevičius, M. 2013a. Civilizacija Veržbolovo – I dalis. Available from Internet: https://kybartai.lt/lt_lt/civilizacija-verzbolovoi-dalis/ (in Lithuanian).
Ivaškevičius, M. 2013b. Civilizacija Veržbolovo – II dalis. Available from Internet: https://kybartai.lt/lt_lt/civilizacija-verzbolovo-ii-dalis/ (in Lithuanian).
Kunčius, H. 2018. Lietuviškos apybraižos: istorijų romanas. Vilnius: Lietuvos rašytojų sąjungos leidykla. 253 p. (in Lithuanian).
Li, X.; Fang, J.; Zhang, Q.; Zhao, S.; Guan, X. 2020. Study on key technology of railway freight car body fatigue test, Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention 20(1): 261–269. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-020-00828-7
Lichtberger, B. 2015. 1435 mm pločio vėžės geležinkelio kelias: žinynas. Vilnius: Zidex. 306 p. (in Lithuanian).
LR SM. 2021a. LTG skaičiuoja sudėtingų 2020 m. rezultatus: geriau nei planuota, visi strateginiai projektai važiuoja pirmyn. Lietuvos Respublikos susisiekimo ministerija (LR SM). Available from Internet: https://sumin.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/ltg-skaiciuoja-sudetingu-2020-m-rezultatus-geriau-nei-planuota-visistrateginiai-projektai-vaziuoja-pirmyn (in Lithuanian).
LR SM. 2021b. „Rail Baltica“ atveria naujų galimybių Kauno regionui. Lietuvos Respublikos susisiekimo ministerija (LR SM). Available from Internet: https://sumin.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/rail-baltica-atveria-nauju-galimybiu-kauno-regionui (in Lithuanian).
LR SM. 2021c. Susisiekimo ministras: „Rail Balticos“ europinio geležinkelio jungtis turi tiesiogiai pasiekti Vilniaus ir Kauno oro uostus. Lietuvos Respublikos susisiekimo ministerija (LR SM). Available from Internet: https://sumin.lrv.lt/lt/naujienos/susisiekimo-ministras-rail-balticos-europinio-gelezinkelio-jungtis-turi-tiesiogiai-pasiekti-vilniaus-ir-kauno-orouostus (in Lithuanian).
LR SM. 2021e. The Aim of the Baltic States is Rapid and Coordinated Implementation of the “Rail Baltica” Project. Ministry of Transport and Communications (LR SM). Available from Internet: https://sumin.lrv.lt/en/news/the-aim-of-the-balticstates-is-rapid-and-coordinated-implementation-of-the-railbaltica-project
Maskeliūnaitė, L.; Sivilevičius, H. 2020. The model for evaluating criteria describing the internal safety of a railway trip by international train, in: K. Gopalakrishnan, O. Prentkovskis, I. Jackiva, R. Junevičius (Eds.). TRANSBALTICA XI: Transportation Science and Technology, 2–3 May 2019, Vilnius, Lithuania, 610–621. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38666-5_64
Maskeliūnaitė, L.; Sivilevičius, H. 2014. The model for evaluating the criteria describing the quality of the trip by international train, Technological and Economic Development of Economy 20(3): 484–506. https://doi.org/10.3846/20294913.2014.949333
Mickevičius, V. 2007. Kybartai senuosiuose atvirukuose. Tado Skaurono internetinis puslapis “Kybartų miesto istorija”. Available from Internet: https://kybartai.weebly.com/kybartai-senuosiuose-atvirukuose.html
Mintzia, D.; Kehagia, F.; Tsakalidis, A.; Zervas. E. 2018. A methodological framework for the comparative analysis of the environmental performance of roadway and railway transport, Promet – Traffic & Transportation 30(6): 721–731. https://doi.org/10.7307/ptt.v30i6.2804
Naprys, E. 2021. ES sankcijos Baltarusijai nuo „Lietuvos geležinkelių“ nubrauks iki 20 mln. eurų pajamų. (in Lithuanian). Available from Internet: https://www.delfi.lt/verslas/transportas/es-sankcijos-baltarusijai-nuo-lietuvos-gelezinkeliu-nubrauks-iki-20-mln-euru-pajamu.d?id=87556465
Navikas, D.; Bulevičius, M.; Sivilevičius, H. 2016. Determination and evaluation of railway aggregate sub-ballast gradation and other properties variation, Journal of Civil Engineering and Management 22(5): 699–710. https://doi.org/10.3846/13923730.2016.1177586
Navikas, D.; Sivilevičius, H.; Bulevičius, M. 2018. Investigation and evaluation of railway ballast properties variation during technological processes, Construction and Building Materials 185: 325–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.07.090
Prizova, E. 2014. Chetyre ljubopytnyh fakta o Nikolaevskoj zheleznoj doroge, Rossijskaja gazeta 12 fevralja 2014 goda. Available from Internet: https://rg.ru/2014/02/12/poezda-site.html (in Russian).
Rail-Baltica.lt. 2021a. 10 projekto „Rail Baltica“ įgyvendinimo privalumų. „Rail Baltica“ koordinavimo departamentas, AB „LTG Infra“, Vilnius, Lietuva. Available from Internet: https://www.rail-baltica.lt/nauda/ (in Lithuanian).
Rail-Baltica.lt. 2021b. Europiečių susisiekimą užtikrins tvariausias transportas – traukiniai. „Rail Baltica“ koordinavimo departamentas, AB „LTG Infra“, Vilnius, Lietuva. Available from Internet: https://www.rail-baltica.lt/naujienos/europieciususisiekima-uztikrins-tvariausias-transportas-traukiniai/ (in Lithuanian).
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Rail-Baltica.lt. 2021d. Su „Rail Baltica“ po Europą keliausime greičiau, saugiau ir patogiau. „Rail Baltica“ koordinavimo departamentas, AB „LTG Infra“, Vilnius, Lietuva. Available from Internet: https://www.rail-baltica.lt/naujienos/su-railbaltica-po-europa-keliausime-greiciau-saugiau-ir-patogiau/ (in Lithuanian).
RailBaltica.org. 2021. Technical Parameters. RB Rail AS, Riga, Latvia. Available from Internet: https://www.railbaltica.org/about-rail-baltica/tehnical-parametrs/
Sivilevičius, H.; Maskeliūnaitė, L. 2018. Multiple criteria evaluation and the inverse hierarchy model for justifying the choice of rail transport mode, Promet – Traffic & Transportation 30(1): 57–69. https://doi.org/10.7307/ptt.v30i1.2417
Sivilevičius, H.; Maskeliūnaitė, L. 2019. The model assessing the impact of price and provided services on the quality of the trip by train: MCDM approach, E&M Economics and Management 22(2): 51–67. https://doi.org/10.15240/tul/001/2019-2-004
Sivilevičius, H.; Maskeliūnaitė, L.; Petkevičienė, B.; Petkevičius, K. 2012. The model of evaluating the criteria, describing the quality of organization and technology of travel by international train, Transport 27(3): 307–319. https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2012.724448
Vaičiūnas, G.; Steišūnas, S.; Bureika, G. 2021. Specification of estimation of a passenger car ride smoothness under various exploitation conditions, Eksploatacja i Niezawodność – Maintenance and Reliability 23(4): 719–725. https://doi.org/10.17531/ein.2021.4.14
Vanagas, J. 2017. Konkė: the first public transport in Vilnius, Transport 32(1): 94–100. https://doi.org/10.3846/16484142.2016.1167124
Veidas.lt. 2010. Išnykusių carinių sienų pėdsakai. Available from Internet: http://www.veidas.lt/isnykusiu-cariniu-sienu-pedsakai (in Lithuanian).
Venclova, T. 2019. Lietuvos istorija visiems. II tomas. Vilnius: R. Paknio leidykla. 384 p. (in Lithuanian).
Zygar, M. 2020. Imperija turi mirti: Rusijos revoliucijų istorija veikėjų akimis, 1900–1917. Vilnius: Kitos knygos. 568 p. (in Lithuanian).
Žeimantas, L. V. 2003. Sankt Peterburgo – Varšuvos geležinkelis 1858–1915. Vilnius: Gelspa. 249 p. (in Lithuanian).
Wikipedia. 2021a. Kybartų geležinkelio stotis. Available from Internet: https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kybart%C5%B3_gele%C5%BEinkelio_stotis (in Lithuanian).
Wikipedia. 2021b. Shirina kolei. Available from Internet: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ширина_колеи (in Russian).