Airport, Analytics, Latvia, Port, Railways, Statistics, Transport

Drop in rail freights and increase in road freights

The volume of freights carried by rail dropped by 0.6 mln tonnes or 2.3%, whereas the freight turnover rose by 3.1%. The volume of freights carried by road increased by 4.2 mln tonnes or 13.6%, whereas the freight turnover – fell by 3.2%. The volume of oil products transported via the main oil products pipeline and freight turnover reduced by 26% and 26.1%, respectively.

A drop remains in freight turnover at ports

In the 1st half of 2018, freights transported to and from Latvian ports accounted for 32.4 mln tonnes, which is 4.6% less than in the 1st half of 2017. Freight turnover at Riga port was 17.6 mln tonnes, 0.7% more than in the first half of 2017, at Ventspils port – 10 mln tonnes or 19.2% less, at Liepāja port – 3.9 mln tonnes or 18.2% more, but at minor ports – 0.9 mln tonnes or 13.7% more than in the first half of 2017.

28.2 mln tons of freights were shipped from ports, which is 7.4% less than during the 1st half of 2017. The decrease in the volume of freights shipped was facilitated by the fall of 0.9 mln tonnes or 9% in the volume of coal loaded onto ships, as well as decrease of 2.3 mln tonnes or 25.6% in the volume of oil products. Rise in the volume of shipped freights was recorded in the freights of grain and grain products (56.5%) and timber (34.5%). Also, the volume of loaded freights in containers and roll on/ roll off increased by 13.2% and 19%, respectively.

The volume of freights received at ports rose by 19.5%. Rise in the volume of unloaded goods in containers and roll on/roll off comprised 2.7% and 12.3%, respectively, but increase in oil products unloaded – 18.5%.

Riga International Airport received and shipped 12.4 thousand tonnes of cargo, which was 23.6% more than in in the 1st half of 2017.

Number of passengers at ports and airport increased, number of passengers carried by land remained at the level of the previous year

In the 1st half of 2018, the number of passengers carried by land passenger transport remained at the level of the previous year: 121.3 mln passengers were carried.

The number of passengers carried by rail increased by 4.4%, but the number of passengers carried by regular bus traffic lines and urban electric transport fell by 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively.

The number of passengers arrived at and departed from Latvian ports with ferries accounted for 486.6 thousand, which is 11.3% more than in the 1st half of 2017.

There were 28 thousand passengers who arrived at the Riga Passenger Terminal via cruise ships – 19.5% less than in the corresponding period of time of the previous year.

The number of passengers arrived at and departed from the Riga International Airport constituted 3.2 mln, which is 18.2% more than in 1st half of the previous year.

(*Freight turnover of land and pipeline transport is calculated in tonne-kilometres by summing up the products of the weight (tonnes) of each batch of freight transported and its transportation distance (kilometres). Tonne-kilometre (tkm) – unit of measure of freight transport, which represents the transport of one tonne of goods over a distance of one kilometre.)