The station is located right by the Children's Clinical University Hospital in Rīga, Torņakalns, and is called Bieriņi/Bērnu slimnīca (Bieriņi district/Children's Hospital).
Most railway stations in Latvia were established at the end of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century. Only a handful of stations were opened after the 1960s, whereas quite a few have been closed. The most recent station was unveiled in 2003 by the Turība University, just a few steps from the Children's Hospital.
Traditionally, train stations in Latvia are named after their geographical locations, but these two – BA Turība and Bērnu slimnīca – after the establishments the train stops nearby. With both of the stations, there had been prior debates with the Latvian language authorities on whether this naming convention conforms to the norm.
With the unveiling of the Children's Hospital station, the nearby Atgāzene station is closing.
The station was unveiled in a ceremony with Transport Minister Kaspars Briškens and representatives from Latvian Railways and the Children's Clinical University Hospital present.
The first to inaugurate the station were about 70 of the Children's Hospital staff on their annual cycling event. As explained to LSM by the hospital's board chairman Valts Ābols, the hospital is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, so the staff symbolically cycle 125 kilometers to mark the event. "It started with 119 [kilometers], we are adding one each year, and now it's up to 125," Ābols said.
Notably, the new trains that started running in Latvia six months ago are notorious for not having bicycle racks. The train operator Vivi has promised to install them over this year, with space for 12 bikes on each train.
This time, though, the trains had to bear slightly more bicycles as dozens of enthusiastic doctors and hospital representatives jammed in.
There were no other passengers on the train, but count on having to employ creativity and athletics in case you want to bring your bicycle on a regular journey anytime soon. Some of the trains are said to already have the racks installed but there is no way of knowing which ones.
In total, 42 train stations will be upgraded within the Latvian Railways project framework and six new ones will be built: the Children's Hospital station, one near Medemciems, one near Dauderi in Sarkandaugava, two on the Bolderāja line and one near the Akropole Alfa shopping mall. The Children's Hospital one is the first completed one.
