In Latvia, the construction of one kilometer of the Rail Baltic railway foundation costs much more than in Estonia. At the same time, the Latvian authorities are allocating significantly less funding for the construction of the railway corridor this year compared to Estonia and Lithuania.
This week, Latvia's Minister of Transport, Aitis Shvinka, stated that the cost of constructing a 45-kilometer section of the Rail Baltic railway to the Lithuanian border is approximately 520 million euros, according to ERR.
"The construction of one kilometer of railway embankment will cost about 11.5 million euros. This amount does not include electrification and signaling systems, as well as necessary materials. Furthermore, project supervision is not included in the calculation," said the Latvian Minister of Transport.
In Estonia, the same section of the railway foundation will cost much less. "In Estonia, according to the contracts signed, one kilometer of railway foundation can be built for 7-8 million euros," said Anvar Salomets, Chairman of the Board of RB Estonia.
In Latvia, this year much less funding will be allocated for the construction of the railway corridor compared to Estonia and Lithuania, and currently, only the construction of a small section from Misa to the Lithuanian border is mentioned. There is no mention of the construction of the track to the Estonian border.
Can we rule out that the trans-Baltic corridor will be ready by 2030 due to Latvia, as previously claimed?
"Pressure should continue to be applied (on Latvia. – ed.). A promise was made at the European level that the railway would be built by that time, and we will fulfill it on our part. The Lithuanians are also putting pressure on Latvia. The Finns are interested in having the route go through Estonia, and the Lithuanians and Poles share the same opinion. Everyone is interested in having this railway built," said Prime Minister Kristen Mihal.
Where can Latvia find the money? The situation surrounding the construction of Rail Baltic at the Port of Tallinn is being closely monitored. They expect the connection of the Muuga freight station to the railway. The Estonian enterprise did not rule out that Latvia could receive additional funding from EU funds.
"For example, funds can be requested through the military mobility fund. It is said that large amounts can be obtained there. The question is rather not about money, but about the management of the project itself. I believe this is a completely solvable issue," said Valdo Kalm, head of the Port of Tallinn.
Meanwhile, in Latvia, a criminal process is slowly continuing regarding possible illegal actions by officials responsible for the implementation of the Rail Baltic project. As reported by bb.lv, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau has already interrogated 60 people in the case, which was initiated at the end of 2024. This means that about one person is being interrogated per week. When the guilty parties will be named, and whether they will be named at all, remains unknown.
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