Compared to the 1st quarter of 2016, in the 1st quarter of 2017 the volume of freights carried by land and pipeline transport increased by 3.6 million tonnes or 13.6 %. The most notable growth in the volume of freights carried was recorded in road transport – of 2.6 million tonnes or 22.2 %.
The volume of freights carried by land and pipeline transport increased by 13.6 %, while freight turnover grew by 9 %.There was an increase of 1.1 million tonnes or 8.1 % in the volume of freights carried by rail, whereas freight turnover rose by 13 %. The volume of freights carried by road grew by 2.6 million tonnes or 22.2 %, while freight turnover increased by 6.7 %.
The only negative indicator came with the volume and freight turnover of oil products transported via the main oil products pipeline, which reduced by 5.1 %.
And contrary to some recent press reports, growth returned to Latvia's sea ports. In the 1st quarter of 2017, freight transported to and from Latvian ports accounted for 18.5 million tonnes, which is 8.7 % more than during the 1st quarter of 2016.
There were 17 million tonnes of freights shipped from ports, which is 8.8 % more than during the 1st quarter of 2016. The increase in the volume of freights shipped was facilitated by a 1.7 million tonne or 41.4 % increase in the volume of coal loaded onto ships, as well as a 17.5 % increase in freights in containers loaded and a 10.7 % increase in roll on/ roll off. There was a decrease in the volume of shipped oil products – of 13.6 %, grain and grain products – of 15.8 %, mineral fertilisers – of 5 %, and timber – of 9.5 %.
The volume of freights received at ports increased by 7.1 %. This was mainly due to an increase in unloaded freight in containers (of 22.7 %) and roll on/ roll off (of 7.6 %), as well as a 2.3 % upturn in the volume of unloaded metals and articles thereof.
In the 1st quarter of 2017, Riga International Airport received and shipped 4.7 thousand tonnes of cargo, which is 3.8 % less than in the 1st quarter of 2016.
Passenger numbers at the airport and sea ports were also booming
In the first quarter of 2017, 60.9 million passengers were carried by land passenger transport, which is 0.8 % or 0.5 million passengers more than in the 1st quarter of 2016.
The number of passengers carried by rail transport grew by 6.4 %, the number of passengers carried by regular bus traffic lines increased by 0.8 %, whereas the number of passengers carried by urban electric transport remained at the level of the previous year (a decrease of 0.1 %).
In the first quarter of 2017, there were 179 thousand passengers who arrived at and departed from Latvian ports with ferries, which is 20 % more than during the 1st quarter of 2016.
There were 1.8 thousand passengers who arrived at the Riga Passenger Terminal via cruise ships – 20.9 % more than during the respective period of the previous year.
In the first quarter of 2017, 1.1 million passengers arrived at and departed from the Riga International Airport, which is 2.6 % more than in the 1st quarter of 2016. Out of them, 0.6 million passengers arrived at and departed from the Riga International Airport via Latvian airlines – 11.2 % more than a year before
