The Lithuanian rail freight operator LTG Cargo will change its wagon operating model to step out of the Commonwealth Member State Rail Transport Council. Led by Russia, it entails cooperation among countries with a broad gauge rail network (1520 mm). “From 2025, LTG Cargo will have a private fleet of wagons, which means that they will not be shared with railway administrations in other countries”, a spokesperson from the company said.
This is the second step for LTG Cargo and its initiative to disconnect from the broad gauge Council and implement a European model of operation. The first step was to withdraw all LTG Cargo’s wagons from movement through Russia and Belarus. “First and foremost, this decision contributes to national security”, the spokesperson stated. Moreover, having a private fleet should improve the efficiency of wagon management, leading to possible volume increases.
“The private fleet of LTG Cargo will be used in two ways: by transferring wagons on long-term lease and by providing wagons for one-off transports”, LTG Cargo said in a statement. Most of the wagons, about 90 per cent, will be used for long-term lease, while the remaining 10 per cent will be deployed for one-off transport. “These changes only affect the wagon fleet managed by LTG Cargo. Wagons shared by railway administrations of other countries will continue to run on the Lithuanian railway network”, the company concluded.