The global project coordinator of Rail Baltica has submitted a funding application for the latest round of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme in the current budget period. The application covers infrastructure development in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania for over EUR 325 million. According to Marko Kivila, Interim CEO of RB Rail AS, receiving these funds is critical to accelerating construction and strengthening the Baltic States’ transport connections to the European rail network.
The funding will enable key construction stages to continue. In Estonia, the plan is to build 10.1 km of track between Kärpla and Selja. In Latvia, the funds will be used to build 14.2 km of embankment on the southern section of the Rail Baltica main line, as well as the first stage of designing the electrification from the Lithuanian border to Upeslejas. In Lithuania, the application covers the construction of three facilities at the Kaunas junction, the design of regional stations and the acquisition of land for the section between the Polish border and Kaunas.
In 2024, work has progressed in all three countries. In Estonia, contracts have been signed for the construction of 73.87 km of track, with another 32.59 km soon to be put out to tender. In Latvia, an agreement has been signed for the construction of 228 km of the main line, including a 40-km section near the Lithuanian border. In Lithuania, work is ongoing on 46.3 km of the main line, with a tender for an additional 12.1 km announced. By the end of 2025, Rail Baltica plans to have 43% of the main line ready for construction.
The project has already received over €4 billion in funding, mainly from the EU and participating countries. With costs rising due to inflation, Rail Baltica is considering new funding mechanisms, including concessions and the use of EU military mobility funds. The results of the current CEF round will be announced in July 2025, with final funding agreements expected in the autumn.