Latest news with #RailBaltica
Fibre2Fashion
7 days ago
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
EU allocates $3.27 bn to 94 transport projects under CEF
The European Commission has allocated nearly €2.8 billion (~$3.27 billion) in EU grants to 94 transport projects under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). This investment will focus on modernising railways, inland waterways, and maritime routes across the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), enhancing connectivity and competitiveness within the EU. The European Commission has allocated €2.8 billion (~$3.27 billion) in grants to 94 transport projects under CEF. The funding will modernise railways, waterways, and maritime routes, focusing on sustainability and resilience. Key projects include Rail Baltica, high-speed rail in Czechia and Poland, and enhanced road safety and air traffic management. Selection will be formalised by October 2025. Rail transport will receive the largest share, with 77 per cent of the total funding directed towards infrastructure upgrades, including Rail Baltica in the Baltic region, high-speed rail development in Czechia and Poland, and the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) across 11 Member States, European Commission said in a release. Maritime and inland waterway projects will focus on reducing emissions and improving resilience, including the installation of shore-side electricity at ports and digital traffic management systems. Additional investments will enhance road safety, air traffic management, urban mobility, and bolster transport links to Ukraine. The projects are expected to improve regional trade, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and contribute to the EU's green transition. The Commission will formalise the selection by October 2025. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)
Euractiv
15-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Europe's quiet power blocs: The new relevance of Visegrád and the Baltic Triangle
Angelo Valerio Toma is a geopolitical analyst focusing on digital sovereignty, infrastructure politics, and emerging technologies. As war, migration, and geopolitical fragmentation test the European Union's unity, the centre of gravity is shifting eastward. The EU's next chapter might not be written in Brussels – but in Vilnius, Tallinn, or Warsaw. Regional blocs like the Baltic Triangle and the Visegrád Group are already stress-testing the kinds of solutions the Union urgently needs – on energy security, digital infrastructure, and defence. What they lack in formal authority, they increasingly make up for in legitimacy, agility, and focus. The Baltic states are no longer sidelined to Europe's periphery – they have become its geopolitical frontier. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have forged one of the EU's most integrated regional defence ecosystems – from coordinated air policing to joint procurement. Their frontline exposure to Russia has forced strategic innovation. Lithuania's LNG terminal in Klaipėda ended the country's energy dependence on Moscow years before Brussels could act. Estonia, having suffered a landmark cyberattack in 2007, went on to become a cybersecurity pioneer – hosting the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence and influencing the Union's digital policy architecture. In Central Europe, the Visegrád Group – Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary – remains a political anomaly: often internally divided, yet functionally coherent on key regional issues. While Hungary's alignment with Russia remains a source of tension, the bloc has coordinated policies on border control, energy infrastructure, and regional rail connectivity. Visegrád may lack unity in rhetoric, but it retains operational value in execution – particularly on migration and logistics. These alliances are not symbolic – they are building the physical and digital foundations of European resilience. Rail Baltica, the high-speed corridor linking Tallinn to Warsaw, is more than a transport project; it's a geopolitical spine binding the eastern flank to the EU core. It has received major EU funding, yet still faces cost overruns and strategic urgency. The Three Seas Initiative – linking thirteen countries between the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic Seas – is investing billions into cross-border energy, transport, and digital infrastructure. It's also seen as a tool to reduce dependence on Russian energy and a strategic space for new partnerships. Yet Brussels often treats regional groupings as distractions – parallel bureaucracies, political irritants, or signs of centrifugal force. But this view misjudges their potential. Regional blocs are not threats to the Union's cohesion; they are accelerators of its strategic capacity. Their great strength is speed: while EU-wide policymaking is slowed by consensus-building and institutional complexity, these coalitions move faster, piloting what could eventually scale up to Union-wide initiatives. The real risk is not duplication – it's inertia. Europe's political centre should not fear the growing strategic agency of its edges. These coalitions are not rejecting the EU project; they are compensating for its blind spots. In some domains, they are already outperforming Brussels in both implementation and vision. If the EU wants to be geopolitically credible, it must invest in the laboratories of resilience forming on its eastern flank. That means targeted funding, regulatory flexibility, and political backing – not only for pan-European programs but for the subregional alliances that are delivering results. Brussels should formalize coordination channels, incentivize cross-bloc innovation, and treat these groupings as early warning systems for what works. Europe's centre of resilience is no longer at the centre. It lies in the coalitions quietly building strength at the edges—where urgency meets action, and where Europe's future may already be underway.
Euronews
25-06-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Rail Baltica could be used for defensive military purposes
After years of delays, construction on the 870-kilometre railway line through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is now gathering momentum. The Rail Baltica project is building one of the most modern high-speed lines in Europe. With the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, using the new NATO-standard line for military purposes is becoming increasingly important. Europe is growing together—and so is its cross-border transport infrastructure. Nine EU main transport corridors are to be completed by 2030 according to the European Commission's plan. The Baltic states are important for connecting the North Sea to the Baltic Sea, but also for the north-south corridors to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. In Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, tracks still have the old Russian broad gauge. The new line will have the European standard gauge. There are also geopolitical reasons for this change of gauge. In the event of a Russian attack, Rail Baltica should be able to transport troops and heavy military equipment from west to east. But the main goal of the new line is to improve the connection between the Baltic cities and the European single market: fast travel for tourists, business people and freight. The problem? The costs have quadrupled, from six to an estimated 24 billion euros. According to the European Commission, it's too expensive. Baltic auditors have also issued a warning. According to the joint three-country audit, there is a funding gap of eleven billion euros. For the time being, there will therefore be a pared-down 'economy route', where instead of a double track throughout, it will mostly have a single track. Fewer noise barriers will be erected, the track bed will be built somewhat lower than originally planned, and branch lines will initially keep the existing broad gauge. This will save several billion euros. The European Union is funding up to 85 percent of Rail Baltica from its Connecting Europe Facility funding pot. This is the EU's budget line for promoting cross-border transport infrastructure. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are paying for the rest. A fierce financial battle is raging behind the scenes. At the beginning of the year, ten EU heads of government sent a letter to the EU Commission requesting more money for cross-border transport networks—and fewer requirements. This was followed just a few weeks later by a second letter along the same lines, this time signed by the heads of government of the three Baltic states. Rail Baltica was actually meant to be finished this year. But there is at least a five-year delay! Now there is talk of it being finished in 2030. What are the reasons for the slow pace and exploding costs? In background discussions, the problems of the past are clear: Things are now going better because the European Commission is putting pressure on the project. Where construction is underway, for example on Neris Bridge in Lithuania, work is progressing. In the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, I met Marius Narmontas, one of the top managers of the three-country joint venture Rail Baltica. How does he explain the several-year delays? 'Planning and designing the route took longer than expected', said Narmontas, 'because we have never had such a large project before.' A lot depends on the European Commission and how they will negotiate the next financing period', he continued. In the Latvian capital Riga, Guntis Āboltiņš-Āboliņš, director of the construction company Bererix, warned of a potential security risk: 'From a military point of view, tanks could be loaded onto the railway in Russia and be in Riga in a few hours! That's why I think we should approach this strategically.' Āboltiņš-Āboliņš believes it would be wise to quickly convert the entire rail network from Russian broad gauge to European standard gauge. Catherine Trautmann coordinates the North Sea-Baltic transport corridor for the EU. She emphasised that the main connection, 'the backbone of Rail Baltica', should be built as quickly as possible. Trautmann is optimistic: 'Rail Baltica is a project that justifies European funding. We have a meeting with the European Investment Bank in autumn, because a loan could also be a solution.' Will the trains run in 2030, yes or no? Trautmann's answer is clear: 'Yes!'
Newsweek
29-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
High-Speed Rail Plan to Link European Countries Gets $1 Billion Boost
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Estonia's section of the Rail Baltica high-speed rail project has moved into its development phase after project leaders signed two major construction contracts valued at up to 932 million euros, the equivalent of $1.06 billion. The contracts, awarded to international consortia led by GRK Suomi and Bouygues Travaux Publics, span the Ülemiste–Pärnu and Pärnu–Ikla railway sections. Construction preparations are now underway, with the goal of physically linking Estonia's capital to the rest of the Baltic region and Europe. Newsweek contacted the managers of Estonia's section of the project via email for more information. Why It Matters The Rail Baltica project is one of the largest active projects in the European transportation industry, designed to connect the Baltic capitals of Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius directly to Poland, and ultimately to Western Europe. The project took on a new urgency after the escalation of the war between Ukraine and Russia because it would make the Baltic states less reliant on Russian infrastructure. What To Know The construction procurement milestone allows Estonia's 215-kilometer portion of Rail Baltica to proceed, though the final construction relies on Latvia and Lithuania also delivering their segments of the rail. The consortium led by GRK Suomi includes Finnish, Estonian, French and Swedish partners taking charge of substructure and superstructure works for the Ülemiste–Pärnu and Tootsi–Pärnu segments. A new terminal for Rail Baltica by Zaha Hadid Architects. A new terminal for Rail Baltica by Zaha Hadid Architects. Zaha Hadid Architects Bouygues Travaux Publics—working with partners from France, Poland and Estonia—is responsible for the Pärnu–Ikla section. Rail Baltica is the largest railway project under construction in Europe, covering almost 900 kilometers. Once completed, it will connect passengers and freight from Tallinn to Warsaw through Latvia and Lithuania, and indirectly to Finland via ferry links. The plan is to have portions operational by 2028, with full completion set for 2030. However, concerns have been raised by officials that Latvia may not be able to complete its segment on time, which would delay the entire project. A joint audit from Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian investigators found that the country may need 7.6 billion euros more than originally planned to complete its segment. In response to the report, Andris Kulbergs, the chair of the Latvian Saeima's Rail Baltica inquiry committee, said: "We have a contract. All three of us—Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania—are in the same boat. If one of us fails, we all share the cost. The penalties must be paid even on another country's behalf." What People Are Saying The Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications told Newsweek: "Rail Baltica is our strategic priority and a geopolitical necessity. The project aims to connect Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia with their Western allies through a north-south railway axis using the standard European gauge of 1435 mm. This shift is crucial for the military mobility across the Baltics, enhancing our capacity and integration with Europe. "Furthermore, the revised Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Regulation now foresees the development of a new European-gauge railway line to Klaipėda and a new transport corridor connecting the Baltic, Black and Aegean Seas, thus further enhancing Rail Bartica's impact and reach. "The strategic importance of Rail Baltica is growing not only considering the geopolitical situation in Europe, but also the expansion of the unified European transport network corridors and future connections with Ukraine. The Rail Baltica project will serve as a strong foundation for establishing a new economic and security corridor with Ukraine, which is crucial for our collective security." What Happens Next Construction on Estonia's section is set to begin after the current development phase, with major works expected in 2026.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Merko Ehitus signs contract for construction of Rail Baltica's Ulemiste terminal
Merko Ehitus Eesti, a subsidiary of the Merko Ehitus group, has entered into a construction agreement with OU Rail Baltic Estonia for the development of the Rail Baltica Ulemiste international passenger terminal in Tallinn. The total value of the contract is estimated at €85m ($96m) with construction set to commence in November 2025 and completion expected by October 2028. Funding for the construction contract is provided by the European Union Cohesion Fund (CF) and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). Rail Baltic Estonia management board chairman Anvar Salomets said: 'The Ulemiste Linda Terminal is unprecedented in Estonian railway history – it is not just a building but a new gateway from Estonia to the world.' The contract encompasses both the design and construction of the terminal, which will be named "Linda" and is being designed by the architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects. The terminal will be situated across Suur-Sojamae street, adjacent to the planned Rail Baltica railway and the existing Estonian Railways infrastructure. The terminal building will feature a section that spans approximately 180m over the railway, reaching a height of about 20m, equivalent to a six-storey structure. To facilitate train access, three platforms measuring a total of around 1,250m will be constructed alongside the railway tracks, with approximately half of this area covered by a canopy. The terminal will showcase a distinctive facade and roof design, adhering to all European railway traffic regulations, and will be built without disrupting current rail services. Merko Ehitus Eesti management board chairman Jaan Mäe said: 'Rail Baltica is a landmark project that brings Europe closer to Estonia and provides work for many companies. 'Constructing such a large-scale building of world-class architecture here in Estonia is a unique opportunity.' Recently, Estonia signed two construction contracts totalling €726m ($810.5m) for the Rail Baltica project. The contracts, awarded to international consortia, will develop two key sections of the Estonian mainline. "Merko Ehitus signs contract for construction of Rail Baltica's Ulemiste terminal" was originally created and published by Railway Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
