On 16 September, the Rail Baltica Working Group of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Transport and Mobility met in Brussels. The participants discussed the progress and future development of the global Rail Baltica project, reviewing updates from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The focus was on key achievements, current challenges and upcoming milestones, and the commitment of the participating countries to complete the project by 2030, which will significantly change transport mobility in the region and improve freight transport.
Catherine Trow, European Coordinator of the North Sea and Baltic Transport Corridor, noted the need for close cooperation between all partners to accelerate the construction of the high-speed railway. She stressed that the project is both Baltic and European, and called on the governments of the participating countries to act quickly and in a coordinated manner.
Marko Kivila, Chairman of the Management Board of RB Rail AS, expressed gratitude to the European Commission for its support, noting that the recently allocated CEF funding was an important step in the development of the project. In 2024, the project will move from the design stage to construction: work has already begun in Estonia and Lithuania, and construction of the main line in Latvia is planned for the end of the year. This year, Rail Baltica plans to conclude contracts for the construction of more than 100 km in Estonia, and Lithuania is preparing for tenders for sections between Kaunas and the Latvian border.