In the 1st quarter of 2019, freight transported to and from Latvian ports accounted for 17.2 million tonnes, which is 10.4 % more than in the 1st quarter of 2018. Freight turnover at Riga port was 8.4 million tonnes, 1.6 % more, at Ventspils port – 6.4 million tonnes or 29.9 % more, at Liepāja port – 1.9 million tonnes or 5.3 % less, but at minor ports – 0.5 million tonnes or 29.9 % more.
However, rail and road freight is witnessing a different trend. In the 1st quarter of 2019, 27.3 million tons of the freight was carried by land and pipeline transport, which is a drop of 0.6 million tons (2 %) compared to the 1st quarter of 2018.
11.7 million tons of freights were carried in transport by rail, a decrease of 2 % on the 1st quarter of 2018. National freights by rail comprised 0.3 million tons – 6.6 % less. In international traffic the volume of freight carried by rail reduced by 1.9 %.
14.7 million tons of freights were carried in transport by road, a decrease of 2.3 % on the 1st quarter of the previous year. 9.6 million tons of national freights were carried, a drop of 13.2 %. 5.1 million tons of freights were carried in international transport, a rise of 28.2 %.
1 million tons of oil products were transported by the oil products pipeline, rise of 2.4 %.
Riga International Airport received and shipped 6.6 thousand tonnes of cargo, an increase of 4.9 %.
At the same time passenger numbers continue to grow,
During the 1st quarter of 2019, the number of passengers carried by land passenger transport comprised 59.5 million passengers, more by 1 % than in the 1st quarter of 2018.
The number of passengers carried by rail transport increased by 4.3 %, the number of passengers carried by regular bus traffic lines – by 2.4 %, but the number of passengers carried by urban electrified transport reduced by 2 %.
The number of passengers arrived at and departed from Latvian ports with ferries accounted for 193.9 thousand, which is 6.3 % less. 1.4 million passengers arrived at and departed from Riga International Airport, which is 5.7 % more than in the 1st quarter of 2018.
