Soon after the new Škoda trains arrived, many passengers complained that boarding the Vivi train was difficult because the old platforms were much lower than the floor of the new trains.
The trains themselves are equipped with ramps, but, according to Latvian Railways, these are not meant for just anyone.
"First of all, every time this ramp is deployed it takes time; it can cause delays to trains.
"These ramps are designed for wheelchair users, not for people who have difficulty getting on. So, according to the instructions, this ramp is not really for stepping on, it is for rolling," says Agnese Līcīte, Communications Project Manager at SJSC Latvian Railways.
The light at the end of the tunnel is promised soon. At Rīga and other stations waiting for new platforms, SJSC Latvian Railways has finally decided to install temporary platforms on top of existing platforms.
"The implementation of this temporary solution is still in progress. Two options are still being explored - one of them is metal structures, which would be quite expensive. The other option is wooden structures, which are also quite stable and could last long enough for this need. So the research is ongoing. A prototype will also be built so that we can understand how it works. But in principle, its implementation could start at the end of this year, beginning of next year," said Agnese Līcīte.
Why it has taken a year to get to this idea when complaints arrived almost simultaneously with the new trains is anyone's guess.
