Traveling from Warsaw to Vilnius will soon take just over 4 hours, to Riga about 5 hours, and to Tallinn under 7 hours. This ambitious vision is becoming a reality through the Rail Baltica project, which aims to connect Poland with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia via modern railways. The project, primarily funded by the European Union, will cover up to 85% of the estimated multi-billion euro costs.
Construction Progress
After years of preparation, construction work is gaining momentum. In Latvia, a consortium of French, Italian, and Polish-Spanish companies will begin work mid-year on a 230-kilometer segment, with a budget of 3.7 billion euros and an eight-year timeline. Estonia has also initiated construction on two segments near Tallinn and further south. In Lithuania, work is ongoing on a 30-kilometer section north of Kaunas, with tenders underway for an additional 70 kilometers towards Panevėžys and the Latvian border.
Rail Baltica is designed to serve both passenger and freight transport, with passenger trains reaching speeds of 250 km/h and freight trains up to 120 km/h. Along the route, selected locations will feature transshipment terminals. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has also highlighted the project’s military significance, as the fast tracks could support military logistics.