Estonian Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis has denied reports that Latvia plans to leave old tracks that do not meet European standards on certain sections of Rail Baltica in order to save money, writes ERR News.
It is planned that in all three Baltic states, the European-gauge tracks that will connect Tallinn with the Polish border will be completed within the next five years. Now rumors have emerged that Latvia is looking for ways to save money, and an unofficial proposal has been made to preserve the existing track gauge on the section between Skulte and Salaspils, which meets Russian standards. This would mean that it would be necessary to purchase trains that can travel on both types of tracks.
Those involved in Rail Baltica from the Estonian side have indicated that such a proposal has not been discussed with partners. On the 6th of December, Anvar Salomets, the head of Rail Baltica Estonia, told the program Aktuaalne kaamera that he could not rule out the possibility that railway enthusiasts somewhere in Latvia are thinking outside the box, and some of the proposals could border on the world of fantasy: “It cannot be ruled out that such ideas exist somewhere, but there has been no discussion of this among partners, and understandably, no agreements on such a solution.”
The minister also echoed Salomets’ comments, and indicated that he had no idea where the Latvian media had gotten such information from. Leis said that the entire main route in all three Baltic states will be built with European standard gauge rails, and that this is the essence of the project. He added that he had spoken with the Latvian Minister of Transport on the evening of the 5th of December,
who confirmed that the official position has not changed.
Latvia plans to use a loan to finance Rail Baltica and is considering cooperation with the private sector. However, many issues have not yet been resolved, and efforts to find ways to save money will certainly continue. Salomets noted that construction work has begun in Latvia, but stressed that it would be necessary to accelerate the pace.
Estonia plans to have construction work on the entire main route started by next summer. Salomets said that maintaining the pace will require serious financial decisions from the government, and that there is currently a shortfall of 100 to 150 million euros. He said that all the necessary funding for 2027 has not yet been secured, and that this will be discussed next summer and autumn. “To keep the pace, financing must be secured. The technical capability is there,” added Salomets.
The Minister of Infrastructure indicated that in a year, when the budget for 2027 is approved, it will be possible to allocate the missing funding. The minister emphasized that in this regard, everything is moving forward at a normal pace, and it is important to continue this way until 2028 in order to obtain further European Union funding.
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