The Council heard a report from Road Transport Directorate on the possible removal of passenger train stops at six stations with low passenger flows - Inčupe, Rumbula, Dārziņi, Kaibala, Cena, and Kūdra. The data show that compared to 2017, the number of passengers at these stops has continued to decrease by 37% to 72% (except at Inčupe), although in May this year, the overall number of passengers on the train routes concerned has already exceeded the pre-pandemic level.
The average number of passengers per service has also fallen as a result of the increase in the number of services, and some services have no passengers.
Meanwhile, the cost per stop has risen to between €7.24 and €8.78, which is significantly higher than the ticket price.
The stops "Cena", "Rumbula" and "Dārziņi" have a significant negative impact on passengers' journey times, including an increase of 5 minutes for passengers travelling towards Latgale, as regional trains cannot reach full speed between the frequent suburban electric trains, according to the council.
The Council endorsed the recommendation to maintain the stopping of passenger trains at the railway stop "Kūdra", as it has a negligible impact on train journey times. The recommendation to relocate the stops "Inčupe" and "Dārziņi" to another location (north of the existing ones) was also supported/
Discussions on the Kaibala, Cena and Rumbula stops will continue with stakeholders Latvian Railways, the Rīga and Pierīga Municipalities Association "Rīgas Metropole" and others.
