Finland Rail Baltica Route and StandardFinland Rail Baltica Route and StandardThe planning phase of Rail Baltica took place from 2010 to 2017. In 2011, the three Baltic States agreed on a route connecting Tallinn, Pärnu, Riga, Panevėžys, and Kaunas. A feasibility study for this option estimated the line would cost about €3.68 billion in total. During the planning of the location of the project route in the Baltic States, a conceptual agreement among the three countries was reached that the railway should be as straight as possible, as this provides the highest benefits at the lowest cost. The shorter and more direct the route is, the faster traffic it can ensure, which economically has the highest advantage compared to its alternatives. This was confirmed by an AECOM study in 2013. Initially, two options were considered. Both options included upgrading the existing standard gauge railway to enable travel speeds of up to 160 km/h (99 mph) along the stretch in Poland from Warsaw via Białystok and Ełk to Trakiszki, followed by a new railway with standard gauge from Trakiszki to Kaunas. For the remainder of the route to Tallinn, two different options were considered: The first option was to upgrade the existing state-owned Tallinn–Tartu–Riga–Joniškis railway to 160 km/h (maintaining its Russian gauge) and build a new state-owned railway from Joniškis–Kaunas with 160 km/h, also at Russian gauge. However, because of the break of gauge at Kaunas, passengers would have to change trains there. For freight, a reloading facility or a bogie exchange station would be placed near Kaunas. This option was already completed as Rail Baltica I. The second option was a new standard gauge railway with 200 km/h (120 mph) speed and 3 kV DC power (the same voltage as in Poland) from Kaunas via Joniškis to Riga, as above, but then continuing in a shorter, straighter line via Pärnu to Tallinn. This option was chosen as the preferred route. The existing Lelle–Pärnu line in Estonia was permanently closed for passenger operations on 9 December 2018, as it required a €17 million refurbishment. The Šiauliai–Latvian border rail section (using broad gauge) was newly built and scheduled to be finished in 2015 with an estimated cost of €270 million. In Latvia, the existing railway upgrade between Riga and Valka was finished in 2016 at a cost of €97 million. The EU contributed about 25% of the cost for the three parts. Finland Rail Baltica Construction In 2017, the parliaments of the three Baltic States ratified the intergovernmental agreement on Rail Baltica, stating that the "route shall be from Tallinn through Pärnu–Riga–Panevėžys–Kaunas to the Lithuanian/Polish state border with a connection of Vilnius–Kaunas as a part of the railway" and defining a design speed of 240 km/h for passenger travel. Thus, the Rail Baltica Global Project route was aligned from Tallinn until Kaunas, with the pre-existing European gauge railway line section from Kaunas to the Lithuanian/Polish border being subject to the results of the Upgrade Feasibility Study. Nevertheless, in April 2018, the Ministries of the three Baltic States approved the design guidelines of Rail Baltica, which state that the maximum design speed will be 249 km/h and maximum operational speed should be 234 km/h. For the Kaunas (Jiesia)–Lithuanian/Polish border section, a 78.1 km route named "alternative 6A" was approved in May 2022 by the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications, taking into account the opinion of the majority of the local residents. This optimal route is the shortest among the alternatives which were proposed and the most remote from the urban areas. The Polish section of Rail Baltica is being upgraded to allow passenger trains to run at 200 km/h. The Ełk–state border section may be built to allow 250 km/h and may be electrified using the 25 kV AC system. On 29 February 2024, construction on the Rail Baltica Riga Central Railway Station reached the rooftop, which was celebrated with a ceremony according to Latvian tradition. This train station is expected to become the busiest in the Baltics once Rail Baltica is fully operational. Rail Baltica I The name "Rail Baltica" is also sometimes used to mean the first phase of European gauge railway construction from the Poland/Lithuania border to Kaunas in Lithuania. It was inaugurated on 16 October 2015. The project, which built European standard-gauge one track alongside the existing Russian gauge tracks, cost €380 million. The 119 km line accommodates diesel trains, with passenger trains running at up to 120 km/h and freight trains at up to 80 km/h. Higher speeds will depend on future electrification, a new signal system, and more level crossing gates. In June 2016, Lithuanian Railways and Polregio started weekend passenger train service between Kaunas and Białystok. In Estonia and Latvia, implementation of the Rail Baltica I project included upgrades of the existing rail lines in the region. The 66-kilometre-long (41 mi) Russian gauge line from Tartu to Valga (on the Latvian border) in Estonia was renovated between 2008 and 2010. The work was done by the Finnish VR Group for a cost of €40 million. Finland Rail Baltica Benefits The Baltic railway infrastructure will be connected to the European railway corridor, ensuring high-speed passenger travel and freight movement. Rail Baltica creates the possibility to shift the major freight transport in the regions from road to rail, which is currently being transported towards Russia and then north by heavy trucks. In the case of Poland, trucks follow local roads and directly cross the villages of Podlaskie Voivodeship According to the 2017 cost-benefit study by Ernst & Young, the benefits from Rail Baltica are calculated to be:
In late April 2022, implementers of the Rail Baltica project presented the progress at the European Parliament where the strategic and geopolitical security importance of the project was stressed repeatedly in reference to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Finland Rail Baltica Rail Baltica Overview Finland Rail Baltica Locale: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland Finland Rail Baltica Service Type: Public high-speed railway Finland Rail Baltica System: Rail Baltica (European gauge railway) Finland Rail Baltica Services: Tallinn–Pärnu–Riga–Riga International Airport–Panevėžys–Kaunas/Vilnius–Lithuania/Polish Border Finland Rail Baltica Planned Opening: Partial: 2028 Full: 2030 Finland Rail Baltica Number of Tracks: Double track Finland Rail Baltica Track Gauge: 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge (primary) Finland Rail Baltica Electrification: 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line Finland Rail Baltica Operating Speed Passenger: 234 km/h (145 mph) Finland Rail Baltica Operating Speed Freight: 120 km/h (75 mph) Finland Rail Baltica Operating Speed Signalling: ERTMS L2 | |||||
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