The Rail Baltica project reached two significant milestones today, on 26 November 2024. The “Friends of Rail Baltica” cooperation group, established in 2016 and chaired by EP Vice-President Roberts Zīle, held its first meeting in the new European Parliament term, emphasizing the project’s strategic importance for European connectivity and security. Concurrently, the Latvian government conceptually approved a phased implementation scenario for Rail Baltica’s first phase in Latvia.
During the “Friends of Rail Baltica” working meeting, detailed presentations were given on the progress of Rail Baltica’s implementation, with representatives from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland participating. The discussions emphasized the importance of continued support for Rail Baltica as a strategic infrastructure project. “This was the first meeting of the Rail Baltica cooperation group in the new EP term. I am pleased to see new members joining the group who recognize the significance of this project not only for the Baltic region but also for Europe’s broader security context. The work of the “Friends of Rail Baltica” group will be particularly crucial for the project’s development as discussions on the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) progress,” said Roberts Zīle.
According to Marko Kivila, Interim Chairman of the Management Board and CEO at RB Rail, the parliamentarians recognized the importance of Rail Baltica and acknowledged its potential impact not only on the Baltic region but also on the broader European landscape. The European Coordinator for the North-Sea Baltic Trans-European Transport Network Catherine Trautmann voiced strong support for the project, reinforcing the collaborative spirit among stakeholders. “There is a shared understanding that the implementing decision is progressing well, with an expectation that it will be adopted by the end of 2024. This timeline reflects a clear commitment to advancing Rail Baltica and ensuring its successful implementation in the future,” said Kivila.
Overall project status
2024 has been a year of significant progress and adaptation for Rail Baltica. Across all three Baltic states, the project has advanced, laying the groundwork for a modern, sustainable transportation network that will strengthen the Baltic region’s connection to Europe. Critically, 2024 marked important developments in aligning Rail Baltica with evolving economic conditions. The Updated Cost-Benefit Analysis, released in 2024, underscored the project’s substantial long-term economic and societal benefits while also acknowledging the increased project costs. These challenges have been addressed through a phased implementation approach, ensuring the project’s continued feasibility and strategic value. “The completion of the first phase of Rail Baltica, ensuring cross-border corridor across the three countries connected to Poland, under our commitment to responsible resource allocation and efficient delivery of benefits. This refined scope allows us to prioritize crucial segments for immediate impact while maintaining the long-term vision of full integration into the European rail network,” said Kivila.
As of 2024, approximately 180 km of the mainline with related infrastructure is in the construction phase across all three countries. Significant contracts have been signed for railway embankments, and key railway subsystem procurements are nearing completion. By 2025, construction is expected to be underway on 43% of the Rail Baltica mainline, which spans a total of 659 km in its first phase. The project aims to establish a single-track on a double-track embankment across various sections by 2030, with a total Capex estimated at 14 billion for the first phase.
“Currently, there are strategically important decisions that the government must make in order to continue the sequential implementation of the Rail Baltica project in Latvia—similar to what has been done in the other Baltic states facing the same challenges. Today, at a Cabinet meeting held alongside international cooperation formats, the issue of implementing the Rail Baltica project in Latvia was discussed, and the priority tasks for the first phase of the project were conceptually supported. Although work on further detailing and reviewing these issues will continue, this marks significant progress as it demonstrates the government’s commitment to supporting efforts to find solutions for continuing the implementation of Rail Baltica. Work will continue on reviewing implementation solutions for the project, including optimizing technical and administrative resources to achieve the fastest possible way to ensure a functioning high-speed rail connection,” says Kitija Gruškevica, a member of the board of RB Rail AS.