A new section of the 1,524 mm gauge tramway network in the Latvian capital city Riga has just recently started passenger service, on 1 June 2026. It is the first extension of the Riga tram system in over 40 years – since the Imanta branch opened in 1984.
The newest section stretches 1,8km long and features three new stops for the tram lines 7 and 14 now terminating at Kengarags. The prolongation starts at the previous terminus at the Dole shopping center (Eglaines iela/Dole) and was also referred to as Kengarags. Part of the new infrastructure is a light-rail kind of section with grasstrack, as well as a very convenient terminus with possibilities to change to trolleybus and other bus lines and a mobility facility for the operator Rigas Satiksme.
The project was financed by the European Union’s Reconstruction Fund and sends a clearly positive signal for the expansion of the tram system in Riga, given that investment in infrastructure had previously been limited mainly to the existing network. There is still a clear need for further investment in this area. Further investments include the procurement of 100 low-floor trams, as the fleet still consists largely of Czech Tatra trams of the high-floor design, which will need to be replaced the next few years.
