Rail Baltica Task Force outlines next steps toward 2030 completion

Credit: Rail Baltica

On 16 September 2024, the Rail Baltica Task Force gathered at the European Commission Directorate-General for Transport and Mobility in Brussels to assess the status and future direction of the Rail Baltica global project. Representatives from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia provided updates on their national progress, addressing milestones, ongoing challenges and future steps in the project’s development.

The Task Force reaffirmed a shared commitment to building the high-speed rail corridor by 2030, emphasising its importance for both passenger travel and freight transport. This new infrastructure will also enhance military mobility across the region. A key discussion centred around the Implementing Decision, which will establish the legal framework for Rail Baltica within the scope of two Trans-European Network Transport Corridors.

Catherine Trautmann, European Coordinator for the North Sea–Baltic European Transport Corridor, welcomed the progress of the project and underscored the need for close co-operation among all project partners, stating, “This is a Baltic project and a European project. As 2030 gets closer, all participating countries and their governments need to be able to act swiftly to go forward together.”

Marko Kivila, Chairman of the Management Board in RB Rail AS, said: “Ensuring the progress of the Rail Baltica project is of paramount importance, and we are deeply grateful for the strong support from the European Commission. The latest CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) financing provided to the project is the most generous support ever, representing a critical milestone in our development. However, many challenges remain, and overcoming them will require continued commitment and cooperation.”

As Rail Baltica moves from the design phase to the construction phase in 2024, work is already underway in Estonia and Lithuania, with construction in Latvia set to begin later in 2024. By the end of the year, Estonia is expected to award construction contracts for over 100km of railway, and Lithuania will issue tenders for sections between Kaunas and the Latvian border. Key system-wide procurements, including energy subsystems and signalling contracts, are also progressing.