The European Coordinator of the North-Baltic TEN-T Corridor, Katrin Trotman, paid a working visit to Riga. The main topic of discussion was the implementation of the Rail Baltica project in Latvia, including the development of the cross-border connection within the first stage. At a meeting with Latvian ministers, Trotman noted that the project has successfully attracted European funding: within the latest Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2023 call, Rail Baltica received approximately €1.43 billion, of which €1.16 billion was provided by the CEF and €261 million by the three Baltic States.
Rail Baltica is a strategic cross-border project that will connect Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to the European rail network. According to Trotman, the priority is to connect the capitals of the Baltic States to the European network by 2030. She stressed the importance of demonstrating progress on the main lines to attract additional funding and expand the first stage of work. The Latvian debate on the project is being closely monitored by neighbouring countries, which have already confirmed their commitment.
Latvian Transport Minister Kaspars Briškens noted that the implementation of the first phase should focus on the cross-border connection and the creation of a European track to one of the Rail Baltica international stations in Riga. He stressed the importance of the upcoming negotiations on the EU multiannual financial budget, which will determine the amount of available funding and affect the timing of the project.