No Trucks Needed: LTG Cargo Ships 230 KIA Cars by Rail to the Baltics

LTG Cargo has pulled off another cross-border logistics feat — delivering nearly 230 new KIA cars to Kaunas entirely by rail.

LTG Cargo, the freight transport arm of Lithuanian Railways (LTG Group), has completed a major project transporting almost 230 KIA vehicles from Žilina, Slovakia, to Kaunas, Lithuania using only the European-gauge rail network. The cars are destined for distribution across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. "This successful operation contributes to our goal of expanding the North-South freight corridor and developing new routes," said Eglė Šimė, CEO of LTG Cargo. "Despite the scale and number of partners involved, we are proud to offer our clients sustainable and high-quality services in collaboration with international rail operators."

The shipment shows a growing trend: car manufacturers are increasingly choosing rail to transport vehicles in bulk. It’s a more sustainable alternative to road, allowing thousands of cars to be shipped without deploying dozens of trucks and drivers.

A 1,000 km Rail Journey with Zero Road Transfer

Accourding to Rynek Kolejowy, the 19-wagon trainset covered nearly 1,000 kilometres from the KIA plant in Žilina to the unloading site in Palemonas, Kaunas. The longest stretch of the journey — through Poland — was handled by LTG Cargo Polska, LTG Cargo’s subsidiary established to improve cargo mobility and supply chains between Lithuania, Poland, and Western Europe.

The final leg into Lithuania was carried out by LTG Cargo’s locomotive fleet, which operated the train over the European standard-gauge track connecting Poland and Kaunas. Sektor Kolejowy reports that this line, launched in 2015, enables seamless intermodal and other freight operations without transshipment at the border, a key advantage in time-sensitive logistics. Once in Kaunas, vehicle unloading and regional distribution were managed by the logistics company AV Terminal, ensuring timely delivery to Baltic markets.

Efficient and Sustainable: Why Rail is Winning Over Automakers

According to LTG Cargo and its Polish subsidiary, transporting this volume of vehicles by truck would have required approximately 30 specialised carriers, forming a convoy nearly 2 kilometres long. Rail offered a faster, greener, and more coordinated alternative, without straining road infrastructure or driver capacity.

"Automakers are increasingly turning to rail as a sustainable transport solution," explained Laimonas Nekrošius, CEO of LTG Cargo Polska. "Thanks to strong collaboration with our partners, we can offer fast, high-quality service for complex transport projects." This is not the first time LTG Cargo has completed such an operation. In 2023, the company delivered Škoda vehicles from the Czech Republic to Lithuania, also using the European-gauge route.

LTG Cargo Polska transportuje partię nowych samochodów KIA//t.co/chK17c5dHR pic.twitter.com/xeVqePWuhF

— Kurier Kolejowy (@kurier_kolejowy) July 4, 2025

Expanding Intermodal Reach and Project-Based Freight Services

LTG Cargo continues to strengthen its role in international freight transport, running regular intermodal services between Kaunas, Łódź, and Duisburg and expanding its project-based delivery network. Recent operations include rail transport of tracks from Austria, as the company focuses on serving complex logistics needs across Europe.

As part of LTG Group, LTG Cargo provides cargo transportation, intermodal services, logistics and forwarding, loading operations, wagon and locomotive maintenance, and rolling stock rental. The company operates not only in Lithuania, but also through its subsidiaries LTG Cargo Polska and LTG Cargo Ukraine, enhancing connectivity with Western Europe and Eastern partners alike.

Sources: LTG Cargo; Rynek Kolejowy; Sektor Kolejowy