Government Agrees on Basics for Rail Baltic Line
When it is built, the new European rail connection linking Tallinn with Lithuania and Poland will not go through Tartu or Estonia's traditional railway hub of Tapa.
On September 22, the Cabinet approved in principle the Rail Baltic line to run parallel to the existing Via Baltica road from Tallinn through Pärnu to Riga.
The Economic Affairs Ministry will begin preparing thematic plans for the railroad in conjunction with the Interior Ministry and other agencies, along with working together with Latvian and Lithuanian agencies, said a ministry spokesperson.
The cabinet also decided that a joint venture should be formed between the three Baltics. Estonia would be represented by Estonian Railway subsidiary EVR Infra AS.
The Cabinet authorized Economic Affairs Minister Juhan Parts to sign the memorandum of understanding on further development with his Baltic counterparts.
The state is looking to secure EU funding from the 2014-2020 budget period and the subsequent period.
As reported previously, British consultancy AECOM carried out a feasibility study that indicated that the project to build a European-standard-gauge railway link would be viable if there is enough freight and passenger volume, and profitable if the EU contributes funds
The optimum Rail Baltic route, AECOM found, would be 728 kilometers long and run through Pärnu, Riga, Panevezys and Kaunas, a distance that would take four hours for passenger trains to cover. Freight trains would run at night and take up to 10 hours.
Kristopher Rikken