Future of Rail  |  Rail Baltica

Continental connection

Work on the new high speed rail line across the Baltic States is underway. It will bring critical socio-economic and north-south connectivity benefits. Rob Hakimian reports.

Rail Baltica is the 870km high speed railway that will connect the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Full scale construction begins later this year. Its creation has been mooted since the three countries became officially independent of the Soviet Union in 1991.

“It represented the region’s determination to reclaim its historical ties and pave the way for improved connectivity and economic growth,” says Marko Kivila, interim chief executive and management board chairman at project promoter RB Rail.

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In 2004 Rail Baltica was recognised by the European Union (EU) as a priority project and the three nations submitted funding bids to the EU’s Trans European Transport Network fund. The EU has committed over €2.1bn (£1.8bn) to the project to date.

In 2017, the Rail Baltica project was costed at €5.8bn (£5bn) but with the potential to provide a €16.8bn (£14.6bn) of socio-economic benefits to the region according to analysis by management consultant EY. Kivila confirms that an updated price and cost-benefit analysis will be calculated after the design phase is completed, by the end of 2024.

While rail connections between the nations already exist, most people travel across the region by car and bus, according to Kivila.

Most railways through this part of Europe are on an east-west axis with Soviet-era 1,520mm gauge track, making integration with the European Union’s 1,435mm gauge network difficult.

The new line will be 1,435mm gauge and will travel on a north-south axis, with its northernmost point in Estonia’s capital Tallin and its southernmost points in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius and the Lithuanian city of Kaunas.

It will carry 120km/h freight trains and 249km/h passenger services, with the faster train speeds expected to attract long distance travellers.

RB Rail believes the line will create a new economic corridor, enhancing accessibility to the Baltic states, attracting foreign investment and boosting sustainable travel.

NEW STATIONS

Rail Baltica will have seven stations. In Estonia, Ülemiste station in the capital Tallinn will be the northern terminus and services will stop at a new station in Pärnu before crossing the border into Latvia. Here trains will pass through the capital, Riga, via Riga Central station and a station at Riga International Airport before heading across the border to the new Panevžys station in Lithuania. 

The track will then split, with some services terminating at a new station in Vilnius and some going to Kaunas, where services can continue to Warsaw in Poland. The project’s ambition is also to have some slower-stopping services that serve the 37 regional stations along the way.

The timetable has not yet been created, but it is expected that four high speed trains per day will run the full distance from Tallinn to Kaunas or Vilnius in just over three hours.

Other services will include up to 10 trains a day on the Vilnius-KaunusWarsaw route, with trains between Riga Central and Riga International Airport running every 30 minutes. Overnight trains will run from Tallinn or Vilnius to Berlin in Germany.

COMPLEX CROSS BORDER RAILWAY PROJECT

RB Rail was formed in 2014 by Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, Latvia’s Ministry of Transport and Lithuania’s Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Each nation has its own implementing body; Rail Baltic Estonia in Estonia; Eiropas Dzelzcela Linijas in Latvia; Rail Baltica Statyba and LTG Infra in Lithuania.

“The cross-border nature of this project adds a whole new level of complexity,” Kivila admits. “It’s not just about setting common technical parameters and border crossing points. We must also consider the corridor operations perspective right from the beginning. This approach allows the project delivery organisations to spot potential areas for optimisation, like finding the best locations for maintenance facilities and energy connections.”

“The cross-border nature of this project adds a whole new level of complexity

Rail Baltica’s scale is underlined by the fact that 150 contracts worth more than €1bn (£861M) are currently active, Kivila says.

“We have successfully formed more than 50 international partnerships, particularly with European industry stakeholders, indicating its seamless integration into the European rail network,” he adds.

This includes an infrastructure access study with consultant Atkins, a feasibility study with consultant Cowi and the creation of a common data environment with software specialists Bentley Systems.

The design and construction contracts are being awarded piece by piece, with each station having an individual contract for its design.

Seven different design contracts for the main line railway will be awarded to consultants.

The electrification systems for the entire 870km route are being procured under one contract, which is being heralded as the largest electrification project in Europe. Procurement is currently in its second stage, with three international consortiums vying for the work, which will be awarded in mid-2024.

CURRENT STATUS

Rail Baltica has suffered some delays resulting from an increased scope of work during the design phase and the Covid-19 pandemic, among other factors. Despite this, the design for the main line is nearing completion.

Full scale construction will start with main line work in Estonia. “Three construction tenders have already been announced and three more are in the preparatory phase,” Kivila says.

Work will also start outside Riga in 2023 when main line construction begins at Riga International Airport, working south towards the border with Lithuania. In Lithuania, the first section of the rail line to be constructed will be between Kaunas and Panevežys. Kivila says “works are to commence shortly” as the relevant permits have been granted.

COMING INTO OPERATION

The full length of Rail Baltica is due to come into operation in 2030, but the Kaunas to Tallinn section aims to be operational from 2028.

“I firmly believe that eliminating the missing rail link of the EU’s North Sea-Baltic corridor is crucial to fully integrating Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the single European railway area,” Kivila says.

“Despite facing numerous challenges and witnessing shifting political landscapes, the idea of such a project has persisted for four decades.

“Rail Baltica symbolises the return of the Baltic states to Europe.”