Poland plays a key role in the Rail Baltica project, which connects Warsaw with Tallinn and integrates the Baltic states into the pan-European rail network. The Polish section of Rail Baltica, which is approximately 400 km long, is undergoing modernization in five stages, most of which have already been completed. The final section is expected to be completed after 2030, which will reduce the travel time from Warsaw to the Lithuanian border from five hours to three.
Recently, Rail Baltica representatives visited Poland to assess the progress of the work and study the process of upgrading the railway infrastructure. Unlike the Baltic states, where the Russian gauge (1,520 mm) dominates, European standards (1,435 mm) are already in force in Poland, which allowed modernization to begin back in 2012. However, at the border with Lithuania, passengers still have to change between trains of different gauges.
Thanks to Rail Baltica, the modernisation of railway routes will have a particularly positive impact on the development of key cities such as Bialystok. The project will also improve transport accessibility in Poland and speed up freight and passenger transport between Central Europe and the Baltic region.