Latvia appoints special Rail Baltica secretary amid strategy change

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…

Latvian petition against manganese ore export to Russia gaining momentum

A petition to ban the export of manganese ore to Russia is picking up the pace in Latvia. The public initiative gathered a third of the required signatures for a parliamentary debate in a single week. The Latvian rail sector has suffered from sanctions on Russia, but public opinion is heavily in favour of them.…

Rail Baltica will not pass through all of Riga before 2030 deadline

Rail Baltica will not pass through all of Riga before 2030. Latvia is missing three billion euros for the completion of the line through its capital city. The city has been a major obstacle for the construction of the line, and the entire project risks losing one billion euros in EU funding if not completed…

Rail Baltica Estonia signs new contracts, optimistic about progress

Rail Baltica Estonia has signed new construction contracts for a part of the Rail Baltica mainline in the northernmost Baltic country. According to the project’s organisation, the newly signed contracts covering 16 kilometres of its Estonian section are a ‘significant milestone’. The organisation also expresses optimistism about the construction progress of the rail line. The […]

EU: Rail Baltica needs to be done by 2030 with or without Riga

The European Commission has been clear about its demands for the construction of Rail Baltica. The railway needs to be finished and have trains running by 2030 to continue funding. A key question is whether or not Latvian capital city Riga will be connected to the line by that time. In Latvia, the Rail Baltica […]

EU: Rail Baltica needs to be done by 2030 with or without Riga

The European Commission has been clear about its demands for the construction of Rail Baltica. The railway needs to be finished and have trains running by 2030 to continue funding. A key question is whether or not Latvian capital city Riga will be connected to the line by that time. In Latvia, the Rail Baltica […]