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 future regarding cargo.
Pohjanvirta shared his view in a panel discussion during the RailFreight Summit ‘24 in Warsaw. In his opinion, the role that Rail Baltica could fulfil in terms of logistics is not just that of linking the Baltic markets.
When asked whether the rail project could be as impactful as promised, he stressed that he does not see Rail Baltica becoming very relevant for logistics without Finnish volumes. Of course, it will still facilitate regional connectivity and access to the rest of Europe.
Fees and cooperation determine the future
Nurminen Logistics already has experience with rail logistics in the Baltics, considering that it uses those markets and infrastructure as a gateway towards the east with links to Kazakhstan, for instance. Nevertheless, the Finnish firm, which could potentially become one of the main customers of the cross-Baltic railway line in the future, has some reservations about it.
Pohjanvirta explained that infrastructure fees will play a central role in deciding whether it is worth launching multimodal connections between Finland and mainland Europe via the Baltics. He specifically said that the investment for Rail Baltica is huge, meaning that there is a risk of high usage fees for companies in an attempt to “repay” the investment.
“On top of not burdening operators with high costs, we should ensure smooth cross-border operations and cooperation between different actors along the line so that we do not end up talking about the same issues affecting other corridors in a few years from now,” concluded Pohjanvirta.
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