Latvia, Legislation, Lithuania, Railways, Transport
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Thursday, 28.03.2024, 09:56
Latvia demands 57 mln euros from Lithuanian Railways for dismantled railway track
The Lithuanian state railway operator said it received the Latvian
company's claim on Monday, dismissing it as unfounded.
Lithuanian Transport Minister Rokas Masiulis described the Latvian
move as pre-election political games.
"We consider this step by Latvia as a sign of political games in the
run-up to the October elections," Masiulis said in a statement.
"It is regrettable that Riga did not wait for the conclusion of the
case with the European Commission. Lithuania has already begun to rebuild the
Renge (track), and all efforts are being made to resolve the old
conflict," he said.
According to the ministry's press release, Latvijas Dzelzcels asks to be informed when the Renge section would
be reopened to traffic and demands compensation for lost profits during the
period when the track was not used.
Lietuvos
Gelezinkeliai CEO Mantas Bartuska said the company is
keeping to a plan for restoring traffic on the line, which it intends to
rebuild by the end of the year.
"Estimates as to the alleged loss of profits are not sufficiently
grounded, as freight volumes shipped to Latvia remained unchanged before and
after (the dismantling of) Renge," he was quoted as saying in the
ministry's press release.
Latvia could still be reached by railway after the Renge track was
removed, the CEO said.
The Lithuanian company says that the existing railway links to Latvia are
not fully used and that there has been no train traffic on some routes for 15
years now.
The Latvian operator did not even try to ship oil products from Lithuania
in other directions, it said.
The European Commission last year imposed a fine of 27.87 mln euros on Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai for hindering
competition in the rail freight market by dismantling in 2008 the track
connecting the Mazeikiai crude refinery, in northern Lithuania, and Renge.
The Lithuanian company paid the fine in early January after filing an
appeal to the EU's General Court in Luxembourg against the Commission in
December.