How to buy train tickets: convenient for both residents of the smallest Lithuanian city and tourists from abroad | Business

2 thousand new points of sale throughout Lithuania

In the spring, “LTG Link” expanded the possibilities of train ticket sales: the sales network was filled with more than 2,000 new points of sale throughout Lithuania – train tickets are sold at all “Perlo” terminals, which provide financial and insurance services.

Here, tickets can be purchased by paying in cash without any additional charge. “Perlo” terminals are closer to the passengers’ homes, so there is no need to go to the station to buy a ticket when planning a trip. In addition, even two “Perlo” terminals are located at the Vilnius railway station.

LTG photo/Train tickets can be bought at Perl terminals

There will also be information centers in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda and Šiauliai, where passengers will receive all the necessary assistance regarding the purchase of tickets, routes and other services.

At the beginning of the year, a partnership agreement was signed with Distribution Technologies GmbH, a company connecting carriers around the world, which expanded the possibility of purchasing train tickets for everyone using the travel planning platform Google Maps.

At the beginning of the summer, 33 ticket machines were installed in 23 train stations, including 9 additional stations where until now there was no possibility to buy tickets, passengers bought tickets online or from the satellite on the train. The “LTG Link” team constantly advises and helps to purchase tickets at all ticket machines. It is planned that the consultants will work at the ticket machines as long as the passengers need to get used to the innovation.

“Passengers’ needs are changing, so we offer as many solutions and options as possible, allowing passengers to plan their trip and buy tickets in a way that is convenient for them.

The range of ticket sales channels we offer should meet the needs of every passenger, and worldwide popular ticket machines are a convenient and fast way to buy tickets without standing in queues and by just two or three clicks.

LTG photo/33 ticket machines are installed in 23 stations

So we really hope that ticket machines will become a popular sales channel in our country too for those who want to buy a ticket quickly”, says Kristina Meidė, head of LTG Link.

It is possible to buy tickets both in cash and by card on the train itself. The additional fee is not applicable when buying a ticket if there is no ticket office at the station. The tax does not apply to people of retirement age and sensitive groups of society and at those stations where there is a cash register.

LTG photo/Train ticket purchase channels

There will be no additional charges for seniors when buying tickets on the train

As the digital ticket purchase channel becomes an increasingly frequent choice for passengers, more than 60 percent buy tickets online. of all passengers – the number of cash registers decreased by more than half in three years. The digital channel is more attractive because passengers can plan a trip, accumulate points, receive notifications and relevant travel or change information, choose seats on the train.

The digital channel is more attractive because passengers can plan a trip, accumulate points, receive notifications and relevant travel or change information, choose seats on the train.

After the planned closure of the remaining ticket offices, a transition period is planned for 2 months, when no one will be charged a fee when buying tickets from the attendant on the train. After the transition period, the tax will not be applied to sensitive groups of society, including old-age pensioners, students with disabilities, people with oncological diseases, etc. The reservation system will provide more seats for passengers purchasing tickets from satellites.

At the train stations, there are employees working at the ticket machines who advise and help passengers to purchase tickets at the station in the most convenient way for them. They will work as long as it takes for train passengers to get used to the changes.

Seniors: Don’t want to be a hindrance to progress

In a meeting with organizations representing seniors, the manager of LTG Link, Kristina Meidė, presented to the representatives the changes related to the planned closing of train ticket offices, which is scheduled for the end of the summer. The meeting was attended by members of the National Association of Botanic Communities, the organization “Senjoru pasaulis” and the Lithuanian Association of the Elderly.

We want to assure you that if we see that there are passengers who will still have difficulties in purchasing tickets, we will look for additional solutions.

“I am grateful to the organizations that unite seniors with whom we met and shared ideas on how to make this transition as smooth as possible. We want to ensure that if we see that there are passengers who will still have difficulties in purchasing tickets, we will look for additional solutions so that everyone can conveniently buy tickets”, says Kristina Meidė, head of LTG Link.

For the next two months, the company is planning an information campaign that will help all passengers choose the most convenient place to buy train tickets from all alternatives.

The representatives of the organizations that participated in the meeting admitted that there are enough alternatives for seniors to buy tickets, and LTG Link will do everything to help seniors get to know the innovations and buy tickets in all alternative ways.

“I don’t want to be a brake on progress, but there are a lot of seniors in our country who are frightened by such innovations. The ticket purchase alternatives presented during the meeting are well thought out, so I hope that they will be convenient for seniors,” Kęstutis Makaravičius, president of the Association of the Elderly in Lithuania.

The manager of LTG Link, Kristina Meidė, met with representatives of the Equal Opportunities Controller’s Office, who assessed that the company, when planning to close the ticket offices, took into account the specific needs of all groups and provided appropriate measures to implement the changes.