On Wednesday, the Government of Lithuania approved the infrastructure development plan for the Rail Baltica section from Jiesia (Kaunas) to the border with Poland. It was also decided to launch procedures for land acquisition for public needs.
“Rail Baltica’s link with Poland is one of the most important parts of the project, as it is planned that the first high-speed trains on the newly built railway will start in the direction of Poland. The modern high-quality transport infrastructure will provide a new, higher standard high-speed rail link to Western Europe. In today’s geopolitical context, it is a key condition for the economic growth and national security of the entire region,” said Marius Skuodis, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications.
“The Rail Baltica high-speed rail line will shorten the journey time from Kaunas to Poland. It is also important because the approval of the special plan will result in a double-track railway, which in the long term will guarantee higher transport capacity and efficiency,” said Vytis Žalimas, CEO of LTG Infra.
The new double-track European railway from Jiesia (Kaunas) to the Polish border will be built according to the so-called Alternative 6A, which was approved in 2022 after intensive discussions with the public and is the shortest option and also the most distanced one from urban areas.
The railway line is planned to be built in new areas starting from Jiesia station, bypassing Marijampolė and Kalvarija, moving away from Kazlų Rūda and, where technically possible, using sections of the existing European railway. This section will continue to be used for regional passenger services and military mobility. It is already running freight trains between Kaunas Intermodal Terminal and Western Europe.
About 115 new structures necessary for the future railway infrastructure – tunnels, bridges, viaducts, animal crossings and culverts – are planned to be built along the stretch from Kaunas to the Lithuanian-Polish border.
Regional stations are planned in Marijampolė, Šeštokai and Kazlų Rūda, which will be connected to the main line by regional links.