As recently as August, it was possible to travel from Tartu to Riga and from Riga to Tartu three times a day, but starting in September, only two departures remain in each direction.

However, the early morning bus leaving at 6:55 a.m. from Tartu and the last departure from Riga at 5:45 p.m. have been axed.

The Tartu Latvian Society wrote to the Tartu city government and LuxExpress that the disappearance of these connections in September was an unpleasant surprise to many people, including foreign students and those who travel to Riga for work, family, or tourism.

LuxExpress board member Ingmar Roos said the morning line was discontinued simply due to very low ticket sales: "Our result from January to May, which is comparable to what we expect in the fall, was under 22 passengers per trip. So the spring results gave a clear indication that continuing this departure based purely on ticket revenue would be deeply unprofitable. Therefore, we were forced to shut it down, and according to our current plan, we will reopen it during the next high season, that is, in May 2026."

In the first five months of this year, operating this service resulted in an average monthly loss of €7,000.

LuxExpress, a private company, told Tartu City Government and the minister of infrastructure that it is willing to restore the morning Riga departure if it receives a subsidy of €4,500 per month during the low season — September through May— totaling €40,000 over nine months.

"The situation has become somewhat more complicated compared to last year, as a connecting train service has now been launched between Tartu and Riga. While last year, during the comparable period, we had 29–30 passengers per trip — right at the break-even point — this year the number has fallen significantly below that. We are willing to take on part of the loss ourselves, with the plan to recoup it with better results next summer. But in order for us to restore the Tartu–Riga morning connection on a commercial basis, we would need a small operational subsidy from the local government or the state," said Roos.

Tartu city secretary Jüri Mölder said that under the Public Transport Act, it is the state that supports international bus lines, but local government support is not excluded.

"Both at the Estonian and European levels, a whole set of rules applies that regulate under what conditions it is possible to provide aid that distorts market competition. That is exactly what we are analyzing during the next year's budget process, when such support is permissible and what conditions must be met. But we need to follow these procedures, and if those processes are completed and the funds are allocated in the budget process, it is theoretically possible, though I wouldn't get ahead of myself," said Mölder.

This story has been updated.

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