Government approves proposal to draft special Rail Baltica law

RIGA - The government on Tuesday approved the proposal to draw up a special Rail Baltica law to speed up the project's implementation. 

Cabinet ministers heard the Transport Ministry's report on the legislative amendments necessary to speed up the implementation of the Rail Baltica project, considering the project's implementation schedule and strategy.

The Transport Ministry especially underlined the necessity to introduce changes that would accelerate and and improve the expropriation of the real estate necessary for construction of railway infrastructure. 

The report covers the key issues and analyzes possible solutions, including the drafting of a special Rail Baltica law and/or amending existing legislation, which would allow to resolve issues related to the construction project's approval  and speed up the expropriation procedures and the start of construction works. 

The Transport Ministry recommends passing a special Rail Baltica law which is sees as the most effective tool that would help achieve the goal, which is to speed up work on the project in Latvia. 

As reported, Rail Baltica is a double track, European standard 1,435 mm gauge electrified railroad for passenger and freight transport to be built from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border. The overall length of the railroad will be 870 kilometers.

The initial cost of the project was estimated at EUR 5.8 billion, with a portion of the costs being financed through EU funds. The project was expected to be completed and open for traffic in 2026.