Europe-Baltic states high-speed rail link moves one step closer

European Commission and Baltic countries’ representatives gathered in Tallinn on Wednesday (29 May) to lay the foundation stone for the Ülemiste passenger terminal, a key part of the ‘Rail Baltica’ project that aims to connect Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with the European network via high-speed rail.

Participants at the ceremony included Latvian Transport Minister Kaspars Briškens, the Head of the European Commission’s Transport Directorate Magda Kopczyńska, Estonia’s Minister for Climate Change Kristen Michal, and representatives of the Lithuanian Transport Ministry.

The high-level attendance provided an opportunity for the Baltic States to advance joint work to secure funding for the project from the EU’s ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (CEF).

The Rai Baltica project, under development for more than 20 years, foresees the development of 870 km of rail lines, which will connect Tallin to Vilnius via Rīga, in under four hours, instead of the almost 11-hour journey.

When complete, the link will also reduce the number of trucks on the roads between the three countries, currently numbering around 1,500 a day.

The project will return the three Baltic States to European rail standards. At the moment, passengers and goods from the rest of the EU have to change trains between Poland and the Baltic States due to incompatible carriages.

The project also has a political dimension. When complete, it will break the rail connection with Moscow and strengthen the three Baltic states’ security by allowing the rapid transport of military equipment.

An eagerly awaited project

Rail Baltica should be finished by 2030, with a current price tag of almost €8 billion. The project was originally scheduled for completion in 2026 with an initial cost forecast at €5.8 billion.

Financed at 85% by the European Connecting Europe Facility, 150 km of track are scheduled for construction this year across the three Baltic countries.

The Latvian Ministry of Transport told Euractiv that construction is ongoing “on the Rail Baltica Riga Central Hub and RIX Riga Airport sections. The construction of the Rail Baltica Bridge over the Daugava River in Riga has also started.”

On the Estonian side, Minister Kristen Michal explaining that “by the end of this year, work will be underway on one-third, nearly 70 kilometers, of the main track, and nearly half, or 105 kilometers, will be covered by contracts.”

Lithuania has begun initial work on rail junctions in the city of Kaunas, as well as work to acquire land for the high-speed line.

Despite this progress, the project is facing difficulties in Latvia. Since 2018, four different chairs of the board of “Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas” (EDzL) have resigned. EDzL is responsible for implementing the Rail Baltica rail project in Latvia.

Furthermore, the 15% of the project to be paid by the three Baltic countries remains a source of tension within the ministries.

Catherine Trautmann, the Commission representative overseeing CEF funding for transport projects in the North Sea Baltic Sea regions, made it clear in an interview with Latvian National Radio that the project must be completed for 2030.

[Edited by Donagh Cagney/Zoran Radosavljevic]

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