TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS IN LATVIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80S01540R005000130010-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 6, 2012
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: September 27, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/06: CIA-RDP80SO154OR005000130010-7
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY 50X1-HUM
COUNTRY USSR (Latvian SSR)
SUBJECT Transportation and Communications
in Latvia
This material contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States within the mean-
ing of the Espionage laws, Title 18. U.S.C. Secs. 793
and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in
any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law.
REPORT
DATE DISTR. 2q September 195+
NO. OF PAGES 2
REQUIREMENT NO.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
50X1-HUM
Railroads
1. In the summer of 1953, the railroad system in the Raltic Republics was placed
under the Baltic RailroaJ. Directorate; with ' its.` headquarters in Riga; No
changes have taken place in the Latvian railroad system since su.;iicr
except that the Riga-Rujiena railroad d work; it is planned to
repair the line as far as Limbazi. 50X1-HUM
2. Many new locomotives, railroad cars, and machines from Russia have been
allocated to the Latvian railroads this year. Locomotives for passenger trains
came ftm.the Krasnoye Sormovo I'lorks in Gorkiy. Passenger cars came from the
Yegorov Works in Leningrad and are similar to those in use on the Moscow-
Leningrad railroad line. Freight cars came from Kalinin, Dneprodzerzhinsk,
and Kryukovo. Some new dispatch control apparatus was also received.
3. Work is nearly completed on the Jelgava railroad network. New plans for the
Riga rail junction are being worked out, including the division of freight
and shunting among the Riga stations. There are also plans to develop the
connection of Riga Port with the railroad. Work on a double track to Moscow
has not yet started. Electrification of the lines Riga-Saulkrasti and Riga-
Sigulda has been suspended.
Roads and Road Transportation
4. No new roads are being built. re being repaired, and the
road to Lubana is'being rebuilt.
Except for a few new bus lines and an increase in the number of buses, no
big changes have taken place in the Riga bus system during the past year.
At present, in Latvia, there is a network of 90 bus routes c
various towns, on which 142 buses of ZIS-155 make are in use
SECRET - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
STATE X ARMY X NAVY X AIR X I FBI. I 'I AEC
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/06: CIA-RDP80SO154OR005000130010-7
 cnYI _HUM
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/06: CIA-RDP80SO154OR005000130010-7
6. The number of trucks on kolkhozy has increased. Last year, the kolkhozy
received approximately 4,u trucks.
Ports
7. On the whole, the ports are being modernized, new cranes and transportation
facilities are. being installed, and some sectors are beinL completely mechanized..
The port at Ventspils receives the greatest attention. Jetties are being built
on the Gulf of Riga,where the out ocal fuel and building materials
industrv can be loaded on to ships
Airlines
8. There is a new -"airline from Riga to Novosibirsk, with stops at Moscow, Kazan,
Sverdlovsk, and Disk. The flight takes 17 hours. During the summer, an air-
line was started from Riga to Odessa.
Telephones and Radio Networks
9. In the rural areas,old telephone exchanges are being, replaced by new instal-
lations produced by the VEF Radio Factory in Riga.
10. The installation of radio networks to kolkhozy is being speeded up. Radio-
broadcasting equipment is produced by -ae Popov ylorks in Riga. This work is
heavily subsidized by the ",nistry of Agriculture and Procurement as a means
of propaganda; the Latvian kolkhozy have previously been somewhat out of
reach of the propaganda mac,..'.ne, which has not had much success in these areas.
Latvia was reported to have 113 bus routes.
SECRET - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/06/06: CIA-RDP80SO154OR005000130010-7