Estonian rail infrastructure company Rail Baltic Estonia is focusing on constructing Rail Baltica on the Tallinn–Pärnu section, with the main works scheduled to be completed by the end of 2030.
Under the revised timetable, the Tallinn–Pärnu section is due to open by the end of 2032, while the entire Estonian part of the railway is planned for completion by the end of 2034, writes ERR Majandus.
Baltica construction moves south
The schedule places the Tallinn–Pärnu section at the centre of current construction activity. By the end of 2030, the main works on that section are expected to be nearing completion, while construction is due to begin on the route from Pärnu to the Latvian border.
Initial test runs are also expected to begin at the end of 2030. Rail Baltic Estonia’s first planned test section is Ülemiste–Tootsi, although its final length will depend on how the work progresses.
“Testing, put simply, means making sure that all these different components work together, and work together safely. As the first test section, we have currently planned the Ülemiste–Tootsi section. Whether it will be shorter or longer will become clear as the work progresses, but at least the first objective is to start testing the Ülemiste–Tootsi section at the end of 2030,” Anvar Salomets, chairman of Rail Baltic Estonia’s management board, said.
The planned sequence reflects the scale of the investment. Rail Baltic Estonia estimates the total construction cost of the 200-kilometre Estonian section at €3.5B. Nearly half of that funding is expected to cover preparatory work, including constructing the layers of the railway embankment before the tracks are installed.
Funding assumptions shape the timetable
Most of the financing is expected to come from the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility, although agreements on the EU’s next budget period are still being negotiated. The timetable, therefore, assumes that the Estonian state will secure the required funding.
Salomets said the assumption is supported by Rail Baltic Estonia’s previous experience with the funding programme: applications for Connecting Europe Facility financing have so far been successful, and the expected amount for the next financial period is considered comparable in scale.
“I do not see a realistic scenario in which Rail Baltica would not be built. It is a strategic project. It has also survived several governments, including governments whose parties are currently in opposition. I do not believe the Rail Baltica project could stop. Each government may review priorities, deadlines and financing, which could affect the final completion date. But I think the question of whether Rail Baltica will be built has long been settled. It will be built; the question is when,” Lauri Ulm, a member of Rail Baltic Estonia’s management board, said.
The Estonian government has said that the delayed schedule could allow Estonia to use approximately €660M more from the EU’s new budget period for Rail Baltica construction than would have been available under the previous timetable.
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