Trains will not hit 160km/h speed target by 2028 due to lack of funding

To increase the speed of passenger trains up to 160 kilometers per hour by 2028, it is necessary to meet new safety requirements, the National Audit Office said. But €126 million is needed to achieve this.
"By 2028, it will be possible to resolve the issues related to flyovers. As for the crossings, this will take time. Which means that the stretches where you can go fast are quite short," said Auditor General Janar Holm.
The requirements for crossings were tightened last year, but Estonian Railways currently has no overview of how frequently crossings are used. There are 150 level crossings in Estonia and it is estimated €126 million is needed to add safety gates.
"You have to build two levels or you have to put up a barrier that has to really close the crossing so that no one can go over or under it," said Estonian Railways manager Kaido Zimmermann, describing what needs to be built.
The National Audit Office blames the Ministry for Climate Change for not determining the cost of making them safe when changing the rules for the technical use of crossings. Now, despite promises, it will not be possible for trains to travel at 160 km/h in 2028.
The ministry does not understand the National Audit Office's criticism.
"The issue is primarily at crossing points, i.e. where the pedestrian crosses the tracks. These are urban environments anyway, at a stop. There, speeds are lower anyway. In the grand scheme of things, 160 km/h is achievable without the need to build crossings and level crossings," said the Deputy Secretary of Transport of the Ministry of Climate Sander Salmu.
He said a new development plan is being prepared and further financing can be established according to it.
The state audit was a bad surprise for Elron.
"These sections tend to be such that the train has to pick up speed and then immediately brake," said Märt Ehrenpreis, a member of Elron's board.
There is no hope of fast train travel before 2033.
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Editor: Valner Väino, Helen Wright
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera