Transport Ministry and Estonian Ministry of Climate launch study to develop migration plan for railway system

RIGA - The Latvian Transport Ministry and the Estonian Ministry of Climate in cooperation with the European Commission (EC) Reform and Investment Working Group SG Reform and the Technical Assistance Instrument have launched a study to develop a migration plan for the railway system, representatives of the Transport Ministry informed LETA.

The aim of the study is to assess the migration of the existing 1,520 millimeter gauge railway system to a 1,435 millimeter gauge railway system in line with the requirements of the TEN-T Regulation.

The study will be carried out by experts from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Transport Forum (ITF).

Transport Minister Atis Svinka (Progressives) on Wednesday opened the first meeting of the joint study, where the parties discussed the objectives of the study to assess the transition of European corridor railway lines in Latvia and Estonia to the European standard gauge.

Svinka pointed out that the implementation of the Rail Baltica project is bringing about a major change in the railway system in the Baltic region. "For the project to open its full potential, it is necessary to ensure that national rail lines connect efficiently to the Rail Baltica corridor and to key infrastructure nodes, especially ports," the minister stressed.

Under the regulation, European Union (EU) member states with an existing rail network whose gauge differs from the European standard nominal gauge have until July 19, 2026, to carry out an assessment to determine whether existing rail lines located on European transport corridors can be converted to the European standard nominal gauge.

In the case of cross-border sections, the assessment shall be coordinated with the neighboring Member States.

OECD and ITF experts will carry out a socio-economic analysis of the transition of the Latvian and Estonian rail networks to the European standard gauge, assessing the impact on interoperability, electrification and the development of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

The project will prepare a recommended migration scenario that will facilitate the integration of the two countries' rail networks into the Single European Railway Area, as well as facilitate cross-border traffic and strengthen the region's competitiveness.

The parties agreed to continue the study by organizing bilateral meetings with industry experts to assess in more depth the performance of the national railway systems, the challenges and the expectations of stakeholders on the rail migration strategy.

As reported, according to the Baltic joint venture RB Rail, the cost of the first phase of Rail Baltica in the Baltics could reach EUR 14.3 billion, of which EUR 5.5 billion in Latvia, but there are potential savings of up to EUR 500 million from optimizing technical solutions, as well as other savings that could be made.

The total cost of the project could reach EUR 23.8 billion in the Baltics according to the cost-benefit analysis. A previous cost-benefit analysis in 2017 estimated the total cost of the project at EUR 5.8 billion.

The Rail Baltica project will build a European standard gauge railway line from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border to connect the Baltic states with other European countries by rail. A new 870-kilometer European-standard (1,435 mm) railway line with a maximum train speed of 240 kilometers per hour will be built in the Baltic states.