The Ministry of Communications of Latvia believes that a full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into the territory of Ukraine in the long term may affect the implementation of the Rail Baltica project.

Rail Baltica route
Picture: Rail Baltica

Earlier in the news it was reported that this is primarily due to a disruption in the supply chains of materials, the railway magazine Railway Supply reports.

According to the Minister of Transport of Latvia, Talis Linkaits, the geopolitical importance of Rail Baltica has increased significantly since the beginning of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, so a specific plan is needed to build the line faster than expected.

Currently, the construction of the Riga Central Multimodal Hub and the multimodal hub of the Riga International Airport is ongoing, as well as the procurement of civil works for the construction of the main Rail Baltica route.

In particular, on January 31, 2022, the process of alienating territories began and permits were issued, contracts were signed to begin construction work on 204 real estate objects. Soon, the ministry plans to achieve the introduction of a special regulatory framework that allows construction to begin on land that has already begun the process of alienation, but the rights of state ownership have not yet been secured.

The Rail Baltica project provides for the construction of a railway line with European standard gauge from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border, so that in the future the Baltic countries will be connected by rail with other European states. The cost of the project is 5.8 billion euros. Part of the funds will be reimbursed from EU funds. It is planned that the Rail Baltica railway line will be ready for operation in 2030.

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