The design of the terminal will take about one and a half years under the contract, and rail infrastructure will be designed in parallel with the terminal. The design cost of the terminal is €2.6 million. Kristjan Kaunissaare, the coordinator of the Rail Baltic project, said the total construction of the terminal will cost €40 million.

The terminal will be the departing station for Rail Baltic, the rail track which will be built from Tallinn to the southern border of Lithuania.

The first phase of construction will be announced before June in 2021, Rail Baltic Estonia said. The most challenging part of the project will be the construction of the main floor of the terminal above the railway.

Chief Executive Officer of Zaha Hadid Architects Gianluca Racana said the joint terminal will be an innovative, forward-looking and highly valued transport hub. "The new terminal and the public space will also breathe new life into the historic district," Racana said.

Rail Baltic Estonia announced an international design competition last May and the design titled "the Light Stream", a joint project between UK architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects and the Estonian design company Esplan, was chosen as the winner.

The terminal will become a public transport hub and local attraction in the Ülemiste area. The architectural idea of ​​the terminal connects both the terminal building and the adjacent area. An underground connection will be established for pedestrians and light traffic.

Marko Kivila, Acting Member of the Board of Rail Baltic Estonia, said the terminal will add an outstanding architectural landmark to Ülemiste and the Tallinn.

Rail Baltic will enable passengers to travel from Tallinn to Parnu in 40 minutes and from Tallinn to Riga in two hours. Zaha Hadid Architects also won the competition to design Tallinn's Old City Harbor.

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