Rail Baltica - VibeWire Magazine

Conceptual agreement on Riga bypass for Rail Baltica in Latvia

Guest authors
November 28, 2024
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The Latvian government has reportedly “conceptually agreed” on initially bypassing the capital city Riga within the framework of Rail Baltica to save on expenditures. However,…

Latvia considering 1 billion euro loan to bridge Rail Baltica funding gap

Guest authors
November 19, 2024
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The projected costs of Rail Baltica have been mounting, and so has the funding gap. In order to secure the necessary money for the critical…

Financial strain may limit Rail Baltica to a single track only

Guest authors
October 29, 2024
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Rail Baltica has been Europe’s flagship cross-border rail project, but exploding construction costs have led to a re-evaluation of its ambitions. It is especially Latvia…

Surprise reduction in EU funding for Rail Baltica forces Latvia to reach deeper into its own pockets

Guest authors
August 20, 2024
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As part of the tenth Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) round, the EU allocated 345 million to the Latvian Rail Baltica section. It now seems that…

Latvian parliament questions Rail Baltica plans: “It has not been approved”

Guest authors
August 12, 2024
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A Latvian parliamentary inquiry has cast doubt on the legality of the country’s Rail Baltica plans. The head of the inquiry committee, Andris Kulbergs, says…

Freight to contribute little to billions of Rail Baltica-induced growth

Guest authors
June 11, 2024
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Rail Baltica is an economically viable undertaking. While its projected cost has grown immensely in recent years, the high-speed rail line is expected to contribute up to 23,5 billion euros to the Baltic economies. Freight, however, is not likely to contribute much. An independent cost-benefit analysis (CBA) found that Rail Baltica will likely add between…

Rail Baltica mainline construction takes off in Latvia

Guest authors
May 30, 2024
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Latvia is commencing construction works on the Rail Baltica mainline. The Rail Baltica team and its international partners gathered in Riga to mark the occasion, but uncertainty remains about the final shape Rail Baltica will take. The construction of the 230-kilometre Latvian mainline will take place in stages. Initially, Rail Baltica will be working on…

Costly Rail Baltica to cut ambitions and seek funding elsewhere

Guest authors
May 23, 2024
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As Rail Baltica’s projected costs are mounting and continue to grow, the project’s feasibility is in question. Uncertainty surrounding EU funding is forcing Rail Baltica to look elsewhere and readjust ambitions. As Rail Baltica eagerly awaits the results of the January application round for EU funding, discussions surrounding pan-Baltic railway continue. It is uncertain how…

Latvia appoints special Rail Baltica secretary amid strategy change

Guest authors
May 16, 2024
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In the midst of a troubled implementation of Rail Baltica in Latvia, the country is undergoing a strategy change. Latvia is centralising the project’s management under the transport ministry. Kristine Malnača, formerly employed at Rail Baltica, will be deputy state secretary for Rail Baltica affairs, starting in June. Malnača will be leading a Rail Baltica…

Finnish cargo critical to making Rail Baltica relevant for logistics

Nikos Papatolios
April 17, 2024
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Rail Baltica is probably one of Europe’s most anticipated railway projects, and rail freight is set to benefit significantly from its development. However, no matter its potential, the project could also end up becoming irrelevant for logistics. According to Oli Pohjanvirta, CEO of Nurminen Logistics, attracting Finnish volumes will be key in determining the project’s…