Estonia weighs pushing Rail Baltica completion to 2034
Estonia's government is considering pushing back its Rail Baltica completion target to 2034 to make greater use of EU funding and reduce the rail project's cost to taxpayers.
The question is being discussed as part of ongoing 2027 state budget talks, with the government weighing whether to complete Estonia's section of the new international railway by 2030 or spread construction out over a longer period.
Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said Estonia is prepared and technically capable of completing its section by 2030, but doing so could require significantly more domestic funding.
"That could mean putting more of our own taxpayers' money into it," Michal said. Building some sections more slowly, however, would allow Estonia to make greater use of EU funding.
The next EU funding period runs through 2034, but the prime minister said the project would still need to be completed before then. The Baltic countries are currently discussing a joint position, with the government expected to clarify its plans next week.
"Next Thursday, we'll spell out exactly where we've landed," Michal said. "It will be a joint position shared by all three Baltic countries."
Eesti 200 chair and Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas said planning for next stages of Rail Baltica is a key issue in the government's budget talks, adding that the three Baltic countries need to synchronize their construction schedules and coordinate them with the timing of EU funding.
"We need to know when the EU money will arrive, when we can put it to use, how quickly we can spend it and what kind of schedule we can set," Kallas said, confirming the 2034 deadline for using the funding.
Michal said Estonia has been the most advanced of the three Baltics to date in building its respective share of the railway, but the choice now ultimately comes down to whether to build faster and pay more, or delay its completion but take greater advantage of EU funding.
"We're the furthest along and we're capable of completing our section by 2030," the prime minister reiterated. "But if we build faster, we'll be spending more of our own money. If we build a little more slowly, we can use significantly more EU money."
The government expects to wrap up 2027 state budget talks next week.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Aili Vahtla
