What will Latvia do with new EC funding for Rail Baltica? / Article

Representatives of the Latvian Ministry of Transport explained that the funding will allow the construction of the main line from Lithuania to Salaspils to continue and will increase the total length of the main line embankment. This also includes the construction of a 14-kilometre railway embankment and the first phase of the technical project for electrification from the Latvian-Lithuanian border to Upeslejas.

Transport Minister Atis Švinka (Progressives) noted that the latest European Union (EU) funding will allow Latvia to move forward even faster with the construction of the southern section of the main line. The goal is to establish a cross-border rail connection by the end of 2030, and the construction of the main line is Latvia’s top priority at the moment.

Construction work on this project is also continuing in Latvia at Rīga Central Station and at the airport, where the construction of temporary tracks has been completed and work on the signalling systems is underway. Meanwhile, work resumed in the southern part of Rīga Central Station in the spring, with the aim of opening this section to passenger traffic by the summer of 2027.

At the same time, construction has begun on the southern section of Rail Baltica in Latvia near Iecava, where an infrastructure maintenance point and temporary logistics centre are being built, embankments are being constructed, access roads are being laid and other work is being carried out.

Compared to its Baltic neighbours, Latvia is in the early stages of main line construction.

Adjustments will also be made as a result of the railway sector reform, namely the merger of the national implementer of the Rail Baltica project, European Railway Lines, with Latvian Railways, which will also affect this project.

Lithuania will focus on strategic elements, Estonia on double-track embankments

With the EU funding received, Lithuania plans to focus on several strategic elements, including three structures on the main railway line in the Kaunas junction, as well as the development of a full-scale technical project for electrification from the Latvian border to the Polish border and the design of regional stations. The plan also includes the acquisition of land – 30% of the section between the Polish border and the Kaunas city hub.

Estonia, meanwhile, has submitted an application for the construction of a 10-kilometre double-track embankment.

It is planned that by the end of this year, approximately 43% of the Rail Baltica main line will be under construction. These are overall estimates, but the situation varies from country to country.

To date, more than €4 billion in funding has been secured for the project, with a large part coming from the EU and Member States. However, inflation is rising and we need to think about where to get the remaining funding, so we are considering both public-private partnership (PPP) models and attracting funds from the EU’s Military Mobility Fund.

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