Global InformationRail Baltica information
| Rail Baltica | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Locale | Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland |
| Website | www |
| Service | |
| Type | Public high-speed railway |
| System | Rail Baltica (European gauge railway) |
| Services | Tallinn–Pärnu–Riga–Riga International Airport–Panevėžys–Kaunas/Vilnius–Lithuania/Polish Border |
| History | |
| Planned opening |
|
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | Double track |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge (primary) |
| Electrification | 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line[1] |
| Operating speed |
|
| Signalling | ERTMS L2 |
Rail Baltica is an under-construction rail infrastructure project that is intended to integrate the Baltic states in the European rail network.[3] Its purpose is to provide passenger and freight service between participating countries and improve rail connections between Central and Northern Europe, specifically the area southeast of the Baltic Sea. It is also intended as a catalyst for building the economic corridor in Northeastern Europe. The project envisages a continuous rail link from Tallinn (Estonia) to Warsaw (Poland), consisting of links via Riga (Latvia), Kaunas, and Vilnius (Lithuania). Its total length in the Baltic States is 870 kilometres (540 mi), with 213 kilometres (132 mi) in Estonia, 265 kilometres (165 mi) in Latvia, and 392 kilometres (244 mi) in Lithuania.[4] Rail Baltica is one of the priority projects of the European Union (EU). It is part of the North Sea–Baltic Corridor of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).
Rail Baltica will add the first large-scale mainline standard gauge railway in the area. Legacy rail networks in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are mainly in Russian gauge (1,520 mm). These countries' first railways were built in the second half of the 19th century while part of the Russian Empire. While some railways were built or converted to narrow or standard gauge between World War I and World War II in the independent or German-occupied Baltic states, these were later converted back to Russian gauge under Soviet occupation rule after 1945.
According to a study produced by Ernst & Young, the measurable socio-economic benefits are estimated at €16.2 billion.[5]: 186 The assessed GDP multiplier effect the Rail Baltica Global Project would create is an additional €2 billion.[5]: 203 As of January 2020, the high-speed railway connection from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border was expected to be completed by 2026.[6] As of June 2020, the undersea railway tunnel between Tallinn and Helsinki was envisioned to be completed around mid-2026.[7] At the end of April 2021, governments of Estonia and Finland signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing themselves to cooperation in the area of transport. As of February 2023, the tunnel was still at the investigative stage.
- ^ "Technical Parameters". RB Rail AS. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
- ^ "Technical Parameters". Rail Baltica Global Project.
- ^ "Rail Baltica – Project of the Century".
- ^ Route alternative approved for the future construction of the Rail Baltica railway from Kaunas to the border with Poland, railbaltica.org, 12 May 2022.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:2was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Implementation of Rail Baltic by 2026 remaining target for RB Rail". The Baltic Times. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- ^ David Burroughs (18 June 2020). "Finnish regional council delays Finland – Estonia undersea rail tunnel". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 26 June 2020.