Lithuania Receives 12 of 15 Stadler FLIRT Trains Ahead of Autumn Launch

Lithuanian rail operator LTG Link has received 12 of the 15 Stadler FLIRT trains ordered under a €226.5 million (about $240 million) contract signed in 2023, with the full fleet due ahead of a planned passenger service launch in the second half of 2026.

The order covers nine fully electric FLIRT units, seating around 200 passengers each, and six battery-electric multiple units (BEMUs) able to run on both electrified and non-electrified lines, seating around 128 passengers, with a range of roughly 70 km on battery power alone. The contract also includes technical support, maintenance and spare-parts supply through 2037.

The agreement was Stadler's first in Lithuania and forms part of a wider fleet-renewal effort as the country upgrades its passenger network, alongside separate preparations tied to the Rail Baltica standard-gauge line linking the Baltic states to Poland and the rest of the EU network. LTG Link holds options to expand the order further, including up to 13 additional electric FLIRT Intercity units and battery-electric units with 100 km and 70 km ranges.

Testing of the new trains has been under way ahead of entry into service; LTG Link has not yet confirmed a firm date for the first commercial run of the new fleet.