Rail Baltica is strengthening its role in the European transport network by becoming part of two key corridors at once. This large-scale project will connect the Baltic, Black and Aegean Seas, providing strategic routes to Ukraine and Moldova. The importance of the railway corridor is also increasing from a military point of view: Rail Baltica plays a key role in ensuring NATO military mobility, which underlines its importance for the security of the region.
Funding for the project continues to expand: in November 2024, an additional €1.4 billion was attracted from the Connecting Europe Facility, and the total investment has already exceeded €4 billion. A new application for funding of over €400 million is planned for 2025, while other sources, including public-private partnerships, are being considered in parallel. Rail Baltica is currently in the active construction phase: work is underway in all three Baltic countries, and by the end of 2025, 43% of the highway will be ready for construction or under development.
In Estonia, 74 km of the railway track is already under construction, and work continues in Tallinn, including the Ülemiste terminal. In Latvia, an agreement has been signed to build 230 km of the main line, and work has begun in the southern direction to Lithuania. In Lithuania, a 46-km section is under construction, and plans for new tenders are being developed. Key infrastructure projects, such as the bridge over the Neris River and passenger terminals in Riga, are progressing well, ensuring the integration of Rail Baltica into the European railway network.