The Lithuanian government has approved a special plan for the Kaunas-Vilnius section of the Rail Baltica project, simultaneously launching land acquisition procedures for state needs in the Kaunas and Jonava districts. The extension of the European standard-gauge railway to Vilnius is planned after the completion of the Rail Baltica main line connecting Poland with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia – a priority agreed upon by the three Baltic States and the European Commission in 2024. Funding for the Kaunas-Vilnius section is planned for the next EU budget period, while land acquisition in the municipalities of Kaišiadorys, Elektrėnai, Trakai districts, Vilnius, and Vilnius district is scheduled for 2030.
The new section will connect the Kaunas and Vilnius railway junctions, passing through Paneriai, Lentvaris, northern Vievis, Žasliai, and northern Kaišiadorys. Connections to the regional stations of Vievis and Kaišiadorys, Vilnius and Kaunas airports, the Vilnius Intermodal Terminal, and the future Panevėžys route are envisaged. During the plan’s preparation, land access solutions were reviewed: the number of overpasses for vehicular and pedestrian traffic was increased, the alignment near Rikantai was adjusted, and the existing line in Kariotiškės will be relocated closer to the Rail Baltica corridor, taking into account the interests of local residents.
According to Vytautas Žalimas, head of LTG Infra, the section is technically challenging due to its proximity to urban development. However, approval of the plan paves the way for the effective implementation of the project immediately after funding is secured – land acquisition agreements have already been concluded. Deputy Minister Roderikas Žiobakas emphasized Rail Baltica’s strategic importance for Lithuania’s transport connectivity and military mobility in the European context. Once the section is put into operation, the travel time between Vilnius and Kaunas without stops will be approximately 38 minutes.