As of 1 January 2025, LTG Cargo will discontinue its 1520 mm gauge shared wagon fleet, as agreed with the Rail Transport Council (GTT). It will be replaced by a private fleet of 6,000 wagons operated by LTG Cargo.
“By abandoning the shared fleet model used in the broad gauge area, we are taking another step in transforming the operations of LTG Cargo towards diversification to the West and adapting the company to operate under the agreements in force in Europe. This is already the second step of the withdrawal from the GTT agreement: after the war in Ukraine, LTG Cargo withdrew its wagons from the movement through Russia and Belarus, and this second step is a disconnection from the shared fleet system and a move towards a European model of operation, where the entire fleet of wagons is privately-owned and will not be used by the railway administrations of other countries,” said Eglė Šimė, the CEO of LTG Cargo.
LTG Cargo's private fleet will be used in two ways: the transfer of wagons on long-term leases and the provision of wagons for one-off services. For the latter, the so-called reserve fleet will consist of approximately 10% of the existing private fleet. LTG Cargo will strive to ensure that as many transports as possible are carried out with wagons on long-term lease. This will allow customers to secure the required number of wagons regardless of seasonality.
It is planned that the majority of goods transported by Lithuanian Railways will be carried by wagons leased to customers on a long-term basis. 90% of LTG Cargo's private wagon fleet will be used for this purpose. The use of the leasing fleet will increase the turnover of wagons - the same number of wagons will be available for a higher volume of cargo.
