The volume of freight carried by rail grew by 2.8 million tonnes or 8.4 %, and freight turnover increased by 15.7 %. The volume of freight carried by road increased by 5.4 million tonnes or 10.6 %, whereas freight turnover fell by 1.7 %. Both the volume of oil products transported via main oil products pipeline and freight turnover dropped by 23.4 %.
During January–September 2018, freights transported to and from Latvian ports accounted for 48.7 million tonnes, – a rise of 2.1 %, compared to the nine months of 2017. Freight turnover at the port of Riga constituted 26.7 million tonnes (4.8 % more than in the nine months of 2017), the indicator at the port of Ventspils comprised 15.1 million tonnes (drop of 7 %), at the port of Liepāja 5.5 million tonnes (rise of 16.2 %), and at minor ports 1.4 million tonnes (increase of 12.8 %).
Compared to the same nine months of 2017, the volume of freights shipped from the Latvian ports dropped by 0.2 % and constituted 42 million tonnes of freight. The volume of coal loaded onto ships went up by 0.6 million tonnes or 4.1 %, volume of timber by 41.8 %, while volume of freights in containers and roll on/ roll off by 11.7 % and 14.8 %, respectively. Shipping of oil products fell by 2.2 million tonnes or 19.3 %.
The volume of freights received at ports rose by 19.8 %. The volume of unloaded freights in containers did not change (slight drop of 0.2 %), volume of roll on/ roll off grew by 9.5 % and volume of unloaded oil products by 13.3 %.
Riga International Airport received and shipped 18.9 thousand tonnes of cargo, which is 14.8 % more than in January–September 2017.
Passengers: upturn at ports and airport, no change in land transport
During the first nine months of 2018, the number of passengers carried by land passenger transport comprised 179.9 million, which is 0.3 % less than in January–September 2017.
The number of passengers carried by rail went up by 4.6 %, while the number of passengers carried by regular bus traffic lines and urban electric transport fell by 0.4 % and 1.2 %, respectively.
The number of passengers arrived at and departed from Latvian ports with ferries accounted for 833.7 thousand, which is 8.3 % more than in the nine months of 2017.
The number of passengers who arrived at the Riga Passenger Terminal via cruise ships constituted 74.7 thousand – 10.5 % less than in the corresponding period of the previous year.
The number of passengers arriving at and departing from the Riga International Airport accounted for 5.4 million, which is 16.8 % more than in January–September of the previous year.
