Railroad tracks in Pärnu to be dug up in anticipation of Rail Baltic

Privately owned train operator Edelaraudtee has turned to the government with a request to except railroad tracks between Pärnu and Raeküla stations as official railways because the tracks have not been in use since 2018 and the route for Rail Baltic will be constructed over them.
Kristjan Kaunissaare, main coordinator of the Rail Baltic project, stated that the Pärnu terminal for Rail Baltic is designed taking into account that the current railway 1520 will no longer be in use.
Tracks between Pärnu and Raeküla overlap Rail Baltic's designed route in a critical position, which is why the demolition of said tracks is important for the project.
Based on superficies, that railway section belongs to Edelaraudtee and the further actions regarding the tracks - if the application is approved - are up to the company to decide.
Kaunissaare noted: "Because passenger transport was stopped on the Lelle-Pärnu route due to the quality of tracks, there probably is no way to relocate the existing trusses."
The railway between Lelle and Pärnu will be reconstructed to supply Rail Baltic with construction materials.
According to the Railways Act, a railway operator can withdraw capacity from a railway which the government has to approve.
Kaunissaare said the government can refuse the proposal to excempt the railway if it's infrastructure is necessary to provide public passenger transport.
The state has not ordered passenger transport on the Lelle-Pärnu section since 2018.
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Editor: Kristjan Kallaste