The state-owned railway company Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (LTG) has released a study on the architecture of the country’s railway network, outlining key development directions through 2050. According to the document, major projects will include the construction of a high-speed line between Kaunas and Klaipėda, as well as the creation of new rail connections to Palanga, Alytus, and Druskininkai. The company believes that modernizing the infrastructure will significantly boost domestic mobility and strengthen international transport links.
LTG estimates that the development of the European Rail Baltica corridor – connecting Poland to the Latvian border via Lithuania – will yield the greatest benefits for the economy and the transport system. At the same time, new high-speed routes linking Kaunas to Klaipėda and Kaunas to Vilnius have been designated as priorities. Additional lines connecting Klaipėda to Palanga and Kaunas to Alytus and Druskininkai are also included in the strategy and are slated for long-term implementation.
Preliminary estimates place the total investment required for the railway program at €25–28 billion, with the majority of funds allocated to the European-gauge Kaunas–Klaipėda line. Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Transport Roderikas Žebakas noted that the network expansion aims to enhance direct access to Western markets via the Port of Klaipėda. He stated that the project’s primary goal is to integrate Lithuania into the European transport system and create a modern railway network that makes travel faster, more convenient, and more efficient.