In just a few hours, rail freight readers will board an LTG train in Vilnius, to kick off the first RailFreight on Tour edition. Over the next two days, the RailFreight on Tour takes place in the capital of Lithuania. The train journey is only the beginning.

Lithuania has attracted a lot of attention from the rail freight industry. The country’s position in the Baltic region is ideal for creating cargo flows to and from the European mainland, Scandinavia or even the Black Sea region. Now that the cards are reshuffled, it can play an important role in the export of Ukrainian food products with its seaport Klapeida.

It is therefore not surprising that RailFreight on Tour is making its first stop in Vilnius. With this event, we aim to connect local businesses and stakeholders with the international rail freight market. Over the next two days, attendees will be navigated through the Lithuanian rail freight market, quite literally with several site visits, followed by a comprehensive conference programme.

What does Lithuania offer?

Why is the Lithuanian rail freight market relevant, and how could it boost the presence of companies in the broader Baltic region and beyond? What opportunities does it offer? Where should companies invest? This will be the first topic to be discussed, by high-level speakers from the EU Commission and LTG.

Despite Lithuania’s rail freight potential, much of the cargo transport to and from the country takes place on trucks. The challenges and chances of shifting cargo to rail is the second topic on the agenda. Intermodality is the key word, and speakers come from all corners, such as PKP, DFDS and CFL.

In the final session, the discussion will be about the transit potential of Lithuania. What regions can someone reach outside Europe through Lithuania? How are European companies utilising the country, and what are the potential burdens they face? Finally, how can rail infrastructure support the decision to transit through Lithuania heading towards the east?

Site visits

The conference programme will start on Wednesday 15 June, at 10 am. However, delegates are already gathering today in the capital, to board the LTG train. The private train will take the audience around the city, and deliver them right to the dinner location.

On Wednesday, after the conference programme, the audience will again be taken around, this time with a bus to the Vilnius Intermodal Terminal. The terminal is located at Vaidotai with the largest cargo transit station in Lithuanian and easy access to the south ring road of Vilnius. During the tour, Indrė Glaniauskienė, the Intermodal Terminals Manager of LTG Infra will explain the advantages of dual gauge terminal and its other strength and rail connections.

Still want to attend?

Do you still want to attend? It is probably too late to book a flight, but you can attend the conference programme online, as this event is offered in hybrid form. You can get a ticket on this webpage.

The RailFreight On Tour concept was launched to highlight regional developments. Going to a location, exploring the business possibilities in person and meeting potential business partners or customers is invaluable. Apart from Vilnius, which is the first stop of RailFreight on Tour, the event will strike down in Debrecen, Hungary on 19 & 20 October 2022.