Rail Baltica

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File:RailBaltica.png
Map of Rail Baltica: The solid line represents the direct option involving a new railway; the dashed line is a longer route which would also connect Tartu and Vilnius. (Country and city names are in Latvian)

Rail Baltica is one of the priority projects of the European Union: Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T). The project is supposed to link Finland, the Baltic States and Poland and also improve the connection between Central and Northern Europe. It envisages a continuous rail link from Tallinn (Estonia), to Warsaw (Poland), going via Riga (Latvia) and Kaunas (Lithuania). It will bypass the Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia) and Hrodna (Belarus), which have historically hosted two Poland–Lithuania rail routes. The building of the railway is planned to start in 2020. The route Tallinn–Riga–Kaunas is planned to be finished in 2025 and the connection with Warsaw in 2030. There is also a plan to extend the route to Venice (Italy).

The section from Helsinki to Tallinn will be operated by existing commercial ferries. In the future a proposed Helsinki to Tallinn Tunnel could provide a rail link between the two cities.[1] The length of the railway between Tallinn and Warsaw will be at least 950 kilometres (590 mi).

Route and standard

There were two options to build the Rail Baltica. Both options included an upgrade of the existing railway (with standard gauge) to 160 km/h (99 mph) for the stretch that runs from Warsaw via Białystok and Ełk to Trakiszki,[2] followed by a new railway with standard gauge Trakiszki–Kaunas.

For the remainder of the route to Tallinn two different options were considered:

  • Option one was to upgrade the existing railway from Joniškis via Riga and Tartu to Tallinn to 160 km/h, keeping the current Russian gauge, and a new railway from Kaunas–Joniškis with 160 km/h, also at Russian gauge. Because of the break of gauge at Kaunas, passengers would have to change trains there. For freight, a reloading facility or a bogie exchange station would be placed near Kaunas.
  • Option two was a new railway with 200 km/h (120 mph) speed and standard gauge from Kaunas via Joniškis to Riga, as above, but then continuing in a straighter line via Pärnu to Tallinn.[2]

In 2011 it was decided to use standard gauge, but with a slightly modified route: from Kaunas to Riga the new railway will run via Panevėžys and Bauska.[3] A feasibility study for this option estimated the line will cost about €3.86 billion in total.[4]

Although there is an EU high-speed directive saying that new TEN-T lines should have a speed of 250 km/h (160 mph), with only upgraded lines allowed at a lower speed of 200 km/h, it is hard to finance the project as it is, and so if the project succeeds, 200 km/h is most likely for the newly constructed line, and 160 km/h for the upgraded section which is a higher-speed rail.[5] As there are many level crossings and 160 km/h normally is the maximum train speed over level crossings, there would be a large cost increase for upgrading to 200 km/h.

Track gauge

Feasibility studies for 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge ("European gauge") have been conducted.[6][7]

Financing and the time horizon

The project will be financed by the member states and by the European Union TEN-T budget (€124 million), Structural and Cohesion Funds provided to the EU New Member States.[8] The total cost is expected to be around €1.5 billion for option one and around €2.4 billion for option two.[2]

The 66 kilometres (41 mi) line between Tartu to Valga (on the Latvian border) in Estonia was the first part to be renovated. This was done by the Finnish VR Group between 2008 and 2010. The cost was €40M.[9][10]

In Lithuania, the two parts Polish border–Marijampolė (using standard gauge) and Šiauliai–Latvian border (using broad gauge) will be new built, to be finished 2015[needs update], costing €270M.[9] In Latvia the existing railway will be upgraded, to be finished 2015, costing €97M.[9] The EU will contribute about 25% of the cost for the three parts. The completed Polish border to Kaunas section was inaugurated on 16 October 2015.[11]

The EU also finances a technical study for a new standard gauge railway between Estonia and Poland.[9]

The building of the rail is planned to start in 2020. The route Tallinn–Riga–Kaunas is planned to be finished in 2025 and, the connection with Warsaw in 2030. There is plan to extend the route to Venice.[citation needed]

Opportunities

Rail Baltica creates the possibility to shift the major freight transport in the regions from road to rail, which for the time being is transported towards Russia and then north by heavy trucks. In the case of Poland the trucks follow the local roads and directly cross the villages of Podlaskie Voivodeship.[citation needed]

In case of a successful project implementation, a high quality rail connection between the Baltic States and the biggest economic, administrative and culture centers of Western Europe will be ensured. Opportunities for a new cargo way (Nordic – Southern) as well as the development of logistics services are expected.[citation needed]

Constraints to be resolved

One of the project's aspects is the conversion of the Baltic States' rail network to Standard Gauge (1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)), thus improving rail integration with Europe at the expense of integration with the Russian system (1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in)).[12]

If the north–south railways are converted to standard gauge, the west–east railways are still not likely to be converted, since they are used for freight and passenger trains to Russia. There is even a consideration to build a new west–east high-speed railway Riga–Moscow which will use Russian gauge.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Mid-Term Review. Detailed report from 2010. See pdf page number 161-172. (65 MB)
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  13. ↑ Augulis: high-speed railroad project between Riga and Moscow must be self-sufficient

External links

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