The Latvian Ministry of Transport has developed a plan to continue the Rail Baltica project with significant cost-saving measures. According to the ministry's report, the priority is the first phase of the project, which involves building a single-track railway instead of a double-track one. Additionally, the route will bypass Riga, excluding the Latvian capital from the main line.

The government approved the idea of constructing Rail Baltica's main line from the Lithuanian border to the Estonian border using the European standard gauge of 1,435 millimeters. Most of Europe uses this gauge, whereas the Baltic states currently utilize the so-called Russian gauge of 1,520 millimeters.

The Latvian government also agreed to complete ongoing construction at Riga's international railway stations – Riga Central Station and Riga Airport – to a minimal extent. This is necessary to ensure that both stations can accommodate existing passenger trains operating on the Russian gauge (1,520 millimeters).

This means that Rail Baltica's high-speed trains will not reach Riga in the coming years. Passengers will instead need to use existing trains from Riga's international stations to connect to the Rail Baltica line.

The construction of the Rail Baltica railway, meant to connect the Baltic states to Poland and the rest of Europe, has been fraught with delays and uncertainty regarding funding in all three Baltic countries. Estonia has also been forced to dial back the scope and ambition of Rail Baltica and postpone the estimated date of completion of its section of the project, while funding and the railway's date of completion remain uncertain.

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