Buses are losing passengers faster than trains: how trips in Latvia have changed

In Latvia, the number of passengers using regional public transport has decreased. From January to September 2026, 31.052 million passengers were transported on state-subsidized bus and railway routes. This is 413,500 people, or 1.3%, less than in the same period of 2025, according to data from the Road Transport Administration (RTA), reported by the LETA agency. ### Buses are losing passengers faster than trains In the first nine months, 15.023 million passengers used regional buses. Compared to last year, their number decreased by 272,700 people, or 1.8%. On railway routes, 16.029 million passengers were transported during the same period — 140,800 people, or 0.9%, less than a year earlier. Thus, the railway still transports more passengers than regional buses, and the rate of decline in passenger traffic on it is half as low. | Type of transport | January — September 2026 | Year-on-year change | | ---------------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------- | | Regional buses | 15.023 million | −1.8% | | Regional trains | 16.029 million | −0.9% | | Total | 31.052 million | −1.3% | ### In the third quarter, the decline accelerated From July to September 2026, 10.84 million passengers used regional public transport. This is 2.4% less than in the same period last year. The majority of passenger transport was accounted for by the railway. Type of transport Passengers over 9 months Year-on-year change Regional buses 15.023 million −1.8% Regional trains 16.029 million −0.9% Total 31.052 million −1.3% Passenger traffic on state-subsidized regional routes from January to September 2026. Change compared to the same period in 2025. Source: Road Transport Administration (RTA). ### In September, buses gained passengers while trains lost However, the monthly dynamics were not the same. In September, compared to August, the number of passengers on regional buses increased by 256,400 people, or 16.6%. On railway routes, on the contrary, a decrease of 33,600 passengers, or 1.7%, was recorded. Thus, despite the overall decline in passenger traffic over nine months, in September, the demand for bus transport noticeably increased compared to the previous month. ### A year ago, the situation was different By the end of 2025, regional public transport in Latvia transported 41.78 million passengers — 795,930 people, or 2%, more than in 2024. However, even then there was a significant difference between buses and trains. The number of passengers on regional buses decreased by 5% in 2025, to 20.46 million people. At the same time, railway transport increased by 10%, reaching 21.32 million passengers. In 2026, the decline affected both types of transport, although on the railway it remains relatively small for now. The Road Transport Administration is responsible for planning regional public transport, as well as for implementing state policy in the field of road transport and licensing carriers.