Rail Baltica is the most important project in the region providing a direct route between 4 EU member states, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, as well as a direct link between the Baltic States and Poland to the rest of the European Union. The Trans-European line Helsinki – Tallinn – Riga – Kaunas – Warsaw, further on to Berlin, will support the EU’s massive objectives on the parity of member states’ access to services and infrastructure, improving the balance and interoperability between transport modes and reinforcing connections to the rest of the EU network.
The greatest problem in the project development is the gauge. The frontier between Poland and Lithuania implies the shift between the two main types of gauges. However, “the feasibility study analysing a radical option, a rapid European-gauge railway providing connection between Tallinn and Marijampole (Lithuania) via Riga and Kaunas, has been recently developed. According to financial reports, the EU co-financing (EUR 2.5 Billion) is essential, the total cost of the project being estimated at EUR 3.7 Billion”, declared Siim Kallas, during the conference called Rail Baltica Growth Corridor (of June 2011). Also in terms of financing, Poland wouldn’t apply for the TEN-T financing for 2007-2013 as there is an adequate financing through the Cohesion Fund available starting with 2013. Lithuania intends to finalise works by using other financial instruments than the TEN-T and Estonia is using TEN-T funds to rehabilitate Varga-Tartu railway. The reconstruction of the Latvian line section is 76.85% co-financed by the state and only 23.15% comes from the TEN-T programme. “The updated total eligible costs of the project are estimated at EUR 43,48 Million with EUR 10 Million available from TEN-T funding and EUR 33,4 Million to be provided from national funding sources”, explained the Latvian Minister of Transport, Uldis Augulis.
Over 4 million tonnes will be shifted on railways
Rail Baltica plays a key role in the transport of goods, especially on the east-west network, mainly due to the fact that the Baltic Region owns ports which record growths in freight flows and estimates are positive. Considering the fact that a significant part of the freight volumes is carried on roads, the development of the Rail Baltica will help attract volumes on railways by optimising the line capacity and development of intermodal transport. According to estimates, around 4 million tonnes of freight will be shifted on railways. Also, after establishing the Navirail transport service (between Helsinki and Tallinn) linking the distribution centres in the centre and north of Europe and implementing the Viking project, on the route Odessa – Klaipeda and using the “Rail Baltica” section from Jonava to Siauliai, the freight prospects for the “Rail Baltica” continue to look promising. Under the circumstances, the interoperability of logistics centres and intermodal terminals will generate a huge potential for transport services.
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