Frequently asked Questions

For construction-related road problems, please write to: kaebes@rbe.ee.
We will respond within 5 business days.

If the question or problem concerns a specific construction section, the fastest way to get information is from the website of the relevant section or by contacting the builder. Information can be found by section: https://www.rbestonia.ee/ehituse-seis/

Rail Baltica is a fast, modern, electrified railway connection connecting Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which will help mitigate climate impacts and reduce air pollution. Rail Baltica contributes to ensuring regional security and saves people time, and the train is 30 times safer than a car.

The European-specific 1435-millimeter gauge railway will run from Tallinn via Riga to the Lithuanian-Polish border, where it will connect to the European railway network. The total length of the railway in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will be 870 kilometers (of which 213 in Estonia). As a wider corridor, Rail Baltica covers Scandinavia in the north and Poland and Western Europe in the south. The railway infrastructure, including the contact network and traffic control systems, will be built to be compatible with those of the rest of the European railway networks.

Passenger trains will be able to travel at speeds of up to 249 km/h and freight trains at speeds of up to 120 km/h. These speeds are optimal for combining passenger and freight traffic. Rail Baltica can operate passenger trains up to 400 metres long and freight trains up to 1050 metres long, with a maximum axle load of 25 tonnes.

Estonia has historically only had rail connections to the east – the tracks still lead to St. Petersburg and Moscow. However, there is still no functioning rail connection between Estonia and the rest of Europe. Rail Baltica connects Estonia with Central and Western European countries and provides passengers and goods with a fast, safe and green way to move from north to south and vice versa.

Currently, the Tsarist-era track gauge of 1520/1524 mm is used in Estonia. Rail Baltica is being built with the most common track gauge in Europe, 1435 mm. Current railways in Estonia have been designed or reconstructed for a maximum speed of no more than 140 km/h, generally the maximum speed is around 100-120 km/h and 80 km/h for freight trains. The permitted speed on Rail Baltica is up to 249 km/h for passenger trains and up to 120 km/h for freight trains.

There will be no level crossings on the Rail Baltica route, and the railway will be fenced off to prevent people and animals from entering the railway. Rail Baltica will feature a new and modern train traffic control system, with continuous automatic information exchange between the control centre and the rolling stock. In addition, Rail Baltica will generate less noise and vibration than the existing railway.

Train services connecting the three countries with Poland and the rest of Europe are planned to be launched in 2030 at the earliest.

Railway construction (including local stops) will be completed in 2030 and the test period will begin.
By 2025, the entire main route will be covered by construction contracts
Construction of Rail Baltica Pärnu passenger terminal to begin in 2025
Construction of the main line began in 2024
Construction of Rail Baltica Ülemiste joint terminal begins in 2023
Construction of railway facilities began in 2019
Design of passenger terminals began in 2019
In 2018, preliminary railway designs were completed in full for the entire Estonian section and technical design began.
Land acquisition began in 2017
In 2012, the preparation of county plans was initiated to determine the location of the railway.

The two parallel pairs of railway tracks, together with the protective zone, take up 66 metres. The fenced area is a maximum of 45 metres wide, depending on the area, and the railway embankment, on which the tracks are located, is a maximum of 15 metres wide (except in the station areas).

The route corridor is significantly wider (up to 350 meters) because the possible need to shift the route must be taken into account and all associated infrastructure must fit within the corridor, including service and access roads, crossings and passages, and ecoducts.

For comparison, when planning a four-lane highway, the route corridor is generally almost twice as wide and includes a 150-meter-wide road and protection zone. The barrier effect of a railway on the natural and human environment is significantly smaller than on a fenced four-lane highway.

Since Rail Baltica is a project being built in cooperation between three countries, both the cost and the cost-benefit are generally estimated for the entire railway crossing the Baltics. The total cost of building a new railway crossing the three Baltic states is estimated at 15,3 billion euros by the end of 2030, of which, depending on the nature of the work, the European Union is prepared to contribute up to 85%.

Nearly 3,1 billion euros will be invested in the Rail Baltica project through Rail Baltic Estonia. The updated cost-benefit analysis in 2024 shows that the cost of the project has changed compared to five years ago, but the socio-economic benefits will exceed the costs in the long term, provided that the construction pace is maintained and all three countries find places for optimization. The price is more accurate than before, because dozens of ecoducts, animal and pedestrian tunnels have been added during the design process, the Pärnu cargo station and Soodevahe cargo station have also been added to the project, and the number and solution of local stops have become clear.

The CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) is intended for projects that aim to create better cross-border connections in Europe. CEF funds cannot be used for national projects, so it is not possible to use their support to plan roads or railway sections of local importance. CEF, together with the Estonian state contribution, has so far allocated nearly 1,2 billion euros to the Estonian part of the Rail Baltica project.

CEF grants already allocated:
- In 2015, the three Baltic States, together with the Joint Undertaking, submitted the first quadrilateral application with a total amount of 540 million euros, then Estonia and Latvia were the largest recipients of funding, 213 and 291 million euros respectively. Lithuania's share in the first application round was smaller, 28 million euros.
- In 2016, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the joint ventures of the three countries submitted a second joint application to the European Commission with a total amount of 238 million euros, of which the European Union will co-finance activities to the extent of 202 million euros. While the main focus of the first funding fell on the preparatory work in Estonia and Latvia, this time the majority of the support went to Lithuania.
- In 2018, Rail Baltica was allocated 130 million euros from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). CEF support accounts for up to 85% of eligible costs, supporting the implementation of the project with a maximum of 110 million euros. In the third application round, Estonia's preparatory work received 6 million euros in support.
- In 2020, Rail Baltica was allocated an additional EUR 184 million from the Connecting Europe Facility, which will be invested in the implementation of the project until 2024. Together with 15% national co-financing, the total investment in additional financing for the project is EUR 216 million. With this grant agreement, Rail Baltica in the three Baltic States had received approximately EUR 1,2 billion in support from the EU and other national funds by that time.
- In 2022, 350 million euros were allocated to the Rail Baltica project under the first application round of the new 2021–2027 EU funding period from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which, together with the national co-financing of the three Baltic states, totals over 400 million euros.
- In 2023, 928 million euros were allocated to the Rail Baltica project under the second application round of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) EU 2021 - 2027 funding period, which, together with the national co-financing of the three Baltic states, amounts to a total of over 1,1 billion euros.
- In 2024, 1,163 billion euros were allocated to the Rail Baltica project from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which, together with co-financing from the three Baltic states, makes a total of 1,4 billion euros.

When selecting the railway route, the following aspects were given priority attention:
- location in relation to residential areas (at least 500 meters buffer)
- location in relation to Natura sites, protected areas and habitats of protected species
- location in relation to cemeteries, heritage conservation areas and sites
- technical suitability of the route
- cost and socio-economic cost

Based on the assessed criteria, route options were proposed that had the smallest negative effect across all assessed impacts. Route options that passed through Tartu were also initially analysed. The experts' analysis showed that building a railway route through Tartu would be significantly more expensive and would have had a greater impact on both nature and people's way of life. The existing Tartu and Pärnu routes were also considered, but in both cases the entire route would have had to be rebuilt to increase travel speeds, including making the curves flatter and demolishing a number of existing buildings and relocating utility networks, and it would not have been possible to avoid Natura 2000 areas. Based on the analyses, the reconstruction would have been more expensive than building a new railway.

In addition to freight and passenger transport, Rail Baltica also has a significant security dimension. The railway, which meets European standards, will in the future be able to transport military equipment from Central and Western Europe without transhipment, which will significantly increase operational efficiency. In addition, high-speed railways are also much more efficient in situations that require the evacuation of the population in the event of any crisis.

As with transport infrastructure projects in general, the expected benefits of the railway are mainly socio-economic – passengers and freight carriers save time, the probability of accidents decreases, air pollution decreases and the negative climate impact decreases. In addition, the load on the Tallinn-Pärnu-Ikla road is potentially reduced, which means lower costs for road maintenance and repair.

The maintenance costs of the Rail Baltica railway are currently planned to be collected from user fees, and if necessary, the business plan must be adjusted promptly. While the maintenance of roads is largely paid for by taxpayers through the state budget, the railway could potentially be largely self-sufficient.

Rail Baltic Estonia OÜ is a local holding company that represents Estonian interests in the Baltic States' joint venture AS RB Rail. The company's task is to organize the construction procurement and coordinate the construction of the Rail Baltica railway and related infrastructure (terminals, stops, freight stations, maintenance depots, etc.) in Estonia. Upon completion of the railway, Rail Baltic Estonia will become the manager of this Estonian part.

The task of the joint venture AS RB Rail is to coordinate the design of railways throughout the Baltic States and cross-border procurements that are a prerequisite for the operation of the railway, as well as the procurement of necessary components where economies of scale can be achieved. The task of RB Rail AS is to coordinate and submit funding applications from the Connecting Europe Facility to the European Commission.

It is planned that 9-12 freight trains will operate in both directions on Rail Baltica per day. The maximum speed of a freight train will be up to 120 km/h.

More than 1500 motor vehicles over 12 meters long, or approximately 10 million tons of goods per year, move across the Estonian-Latvian border via Ikla every day, and these numbers have been mostly on an upward trend. While on average every tenth motor vehicle on the larger main roads in Estonia is a truck, on the Tallinn-Pärnu-Ikla road every fifth one. Over the past fifteen years, traffic volume has increased the most on this main road, and there is reason to assume that in the absence of alternatives, the trend will continue.

Road transport will continue to have an advantage for some goods and routes in the future, but a significant proportion of goods can be moved to rail, which is a safer, faster and more environmentally friendly way to transport goods. It is expected that goods will move to rail mainly from roads, but about 20 percent will also move from sea.

The goods will primarily be transit goods from the Nordic countries, mainly Finland, passing through the Baltics, but also imported goods arriving in the Baltics, which today move mainly by road - goods groups such as wood and wood products, iron and steel, food and beverages, various industrial goods, etc. Although the forecasts are being updated, we believe that the volume of goods transported on the entire Rail Baltica (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) could remain between 10-18 million tons per year in the early years and reach a maximum of 25 million tons per year.

In the North Sea-Baltic transport corridor, of which Rail Baltica is a part, the European Commission predicts a 42% increase in road transport by 2030, if Rail Baltica is not completed. The additional transport volumes would mean the need to expand roads, which are much more environmentally friendly in the long run than electric railways.

Rail Baltica is designed for a top speed of 249 km/h.

It is planned that around 8 passenger trains will run in both directions on Rail Baltica per day, one of which will also carry passenger cars. In addition, regional trains will also run on the Rail Baltica railway, the maximum speed of which will be 200 km/h.

Planned travel times for international passenger trains:
Tallinn-Pärnu 42 minutes
Tallinn-Riga 1 hour 42 minutes
Tallinn - Vilnius 3 hours 38 minutes
Tallinn - Warsaw 6 hours 47 minutes

Elron predicts the travel time of regional trains:
Tallinn-Pärnu (with stops at local stops) 1 hour and 12 minutes
Tallinn-Pärnu express: 57 minutes

Rail Baltica international passenger terminals are planned in Ülemiste and Pärnu in Tallinn, Estonia, in Riga and Riga Airport in Latvia, and in Panevezys, Kaunas and Vilnius in Lithuania.

In addition, stops of local importance for regional trains are planned for the railway. According to the current plan, the following stops of local importance will be added to the Estonian railway section: Assaku, Luige, Saku, Kurtna, Kohila, Rapla, Järvakandi, Kaisma, Tootsi, Urge, Surju and Häädemeeste.

The Rail Baltica freight terminal will be located in the port of Muuga – this will be the only Rail Baltica terminal with a direct connection to a freight port. In addition, freight stations are planned in both Pärnu and the Soodevahe area in Harju County.

Fast cross-border train connections are a European priority, and the broader goal of Rail Baltica is to bring European cities closer in time and space. At the same time, it has been decided domestically that local trains of regional importance will also be on the railway and that they will have stops in: Assaku, Luige, Saku, Kurtna, Kohila, Rapla, Järvakandi, Kaisma, Tootsi, Urge, Surju and Häädemeeste.

Elron is purchasing 5 new electric trains for regional train traffic. Regional train traffic on the Rail Baltica route will also begin in 2030.

All interested parties, including local residents whose lives are most affected by the proximity of the railway, have been able to have their say in the discussions on the choice of the location of the railway. The route of the connection through Pärnu towards Riga was agreed upon after extensive discussions involving many groups in society as part of the national plan Estonia 2030+. It was compiled and organized by the Planning Department of the Ministry of the Interior, and everyone was able to participate in the discussions on the plan. The inclusion process was extensive, with discussions held with civic associations, local residents, local governments, and experts.

The plan was established by the Government of the Republic on 30 August 2012 and contained the basic route of Rail Baltica. The more detailed route was established within the framework of the county plans, during the preparation of which 86 different public discussions were held in 2013-2017, in which over 4000 people participated. When the preliminary design was completed, consultations were organized in all local governments that Rail Baltica passes through.

In 2021, the Supreme Court annulled a section of approximately 40 kilometers in length in Southern Pärnu County, previously established in county plans. In 2023, new environmental impact assessments were completed for this section, and at the end of 2023, a new optimal route corridor was selected, for which public discussions were held in 2024, so that an updated county plan with a suitable route corridor for Rail Baltica could be established in 2025.

From the beginning, the aim when outlining the route options was to avoid areas with existing buildings. It is likely that the railway will extend the usual routes in some areas. In order to mitigate the so-called barrier effect caused by the railway, sufficient underpasses and overpasses, including light traffic roads and access to agricultural and forestry lands, will be built. When developing more detailed solutions, feedback from local people regarding actual needs has been taken into account. The main consideration is to maintain the availability of public services, community cohesion and safety. The railway builder is responsible for the condition of local roads during construction and must ensure that they are restored to their pre-construction condition upon completion of construction.

Train speeds are generally not restricted when passing residential buildings. The railway is restricted and access to it is made difficult for safety reasons. The disruptive effect of a fast-moving train is reduced by various other mitigation measures.

Rescue capacity was already taken into account in the comparison of the route options, and a more detailed analysis will be carried out in cooperation with the Rescue Board. Underpasses, overpasses and additional access roads will be built as needed to maintain or improve rescue capacity.

The Rail Baltica infrastructure is newer and of higher quality than the existing railway in Estonia, which is why it generates significantly less noise. Measures to mitigate noise have been planned already in the initial phase of the infrastructure construction. Noise barriers will be built, among other things, already during the railway construction phase to reduce the noise generated by construction work. In addition, additional mitigation measures will be implemented, such as high vegetation, to reduce the impact of the railway on both the animal and human living environment.

The assessment of noise associated with the planned activity is based on the noise standard levels valid in Estonia (Regulation No. 42 of the Minister of Social Affairs of 04.03.2002 "Noise standard levels in residential and recreational areas, residential buildings and buildings for shared use and methods of measuring noise levels"), which are based on the protection of human health and minimization of disturbances. In rural areas, stricter standard values ​​are used than in urban environments, where noise disturbance already occurs.

The Rail Baltica infrastructure is newer and of higher quality than the existing railways, which means that there will be significantly less vibration from the start. Vibration mitigation uses, for example, soil drainage, vibration mats and other modern technical solutions that reduce the transmission of vibration from the rails to the ground.

Vibration levels in residential areas must be ensured in accordance with Regulation No. 78 of the Minister of Social Affairs of 01.06.2002 "Vibration limit values ​​in residential and communal buildings and vibration measurement methods". The vibration impact area is generally 30-50 meters, in exceptional cases up to 100 meters. If the standard values ​​are expected to be exceeded, measures to prevent the spread of vibration will be taken.

The preliminary selection of route options was based on the principle that the railway route generally does not pass through heritage conservation areas and objects, and the route options were developed in close cooperation with the Heritage Conservation Board. In terms of historical and heritage conservation values, a cultural values ​​study and an archaeological values ​​study were carried out, which took into account the values ​​defined in the general plans of cultural monuments, heritage cultural objects, and county and local governments. Close cooperation has been carried out with archaeologists to determine that no important historical or heritage conservation objects would remain on the railway route.

There are no restrictions on agricultural activities, nor is there a direct legal regulation of tree height, although if a threat arises, the owner can be required to clear the forest.

According to the law, land improvement systems, mineral extraction, excavation, logging or other work that alters the natural environment, and production and storage of flammable substances and explosives may be carried out in the railway protection zone only with the prior written consent of the Technical Surveillance Authority and the relevant infrastructure undertaking or the railway owner or possessor. The Railway Act does not impose any additional restrictions.

The planning and construction of the railway will be carried out in close cooperation with the electricity network operator, who will determine the necessary protection zones and technical solutions at the railway crossing. All costs incurred by the owner of the power lines will be compensated within the framework of the Rail Baltica project and line charges will not increase in this regard.

There will undoubtedly be an impact on local residents during the construction period and various circumstances must be taken into account, such as increased traffic density on local roads, changes in traffic management and, in extreme cases, temporary closure of road(s). Construction activities will also potentially increase background noise and, depending on the season, road surface wear due to increased traffic load. During the construction period, monitoring will be carried out to ensure that potential negative impacts are minimised. The railway builder is responsible for the condition of local roads during construction and must ensure that they are restored to their pre-construction condition upon completion of construction.

There is an information board at each construction site or facility, where you can find the contacts of the company/site manager performing the work. In addition, construction-related activities (e.g. changes to traffic regulations) are also announced in local municipality and county newspapers. We also try to provide operational overviews on the Rail Baltic Estonia website and social media channels.

In addition, local residents can also contact their local government or Rail Baltic Estonia by writing:
1) For general questions regarding the project: info@rbe.ee
2) For construction-related issues in Harju County: harju@rbe.ee
3) For construction-related issues in Rapla County: raplamaa@rbe.ee
4) For construction-related issues in Pärnu County: parnu@rbe.ee

Land is currently being purchased for the railway where the exact location of the infrastructure is in place. In total, the state needs over a thousand plots of land. Most of the properties being purchased are designated as agricultural land and are located in sparsely populated areas, residential land will be cut off only in a few cases, and the state also plans to buy up to 5 residential buildings. Almost a fifth of the land needed has already belonged to the state, but even in this case, specific plots of land need to be allocated for the railway infrastructure.

The landowner is presented with an offer based on the value determined by a professional real estate appraiser or a calculated value for a forested property. During the negotiations, the owners' wishes are heard and the terms of land acquisition are specified, including the location of the exchange land, logging or harvesting. If the owner's wishes are justified and an agreement is reached on land acquisition, an agreement is concluded or a decision is made to carry out land management. All costs related to land acquisition are paid by the state.

Based on the negotiations held so far, 70 percent of the property owners prefer to buy out the land in cash, in the case of such a sale agreement, the state also pays the owners additional compensation, or incentive fee, which is generally 20 percent of the value of the property. At the same time, the properties have also been exchanged, the borders have been changed and the land has been rezoned through state land management.

Rail Baltica is an electrified railway, which means that when we travel by train, we leave a smaller ecological footprint than when we travel by car, bus, ship or plane. One of the goals of Rail Baltica is to reduce air pollution in the transport sector by offering the opportunity to move freight and passenger traffic currently moving on roads to electrified railways.

The pre-selection of route options was based on the principle that railways should generally not pass through Natura areas, which ensures the protection of priority species and habitat types and minimal disturbance. A study of natural values ​​was conducted for all route options under the supervision of scientists from the University of Tartu, which provides information on the existing situation and potential conflict areas. The main areas of study were protected species, protected areas, large mammals, medium-sized mammals and bats. During the study, animal movement routes were also mapped and mitigating measures were proposed (ecoducts and solutions for smaller animals).

Mitigating measures:
· Ecoducts, tunnels and culverts, along with the facilities leading to them, will be built along the most important green network corridors and animal movement routes.
· Every 25-50 meters, passages are built for amphibians, reptiles and small mammals (rodents) that cannot climb over the tracks. These are simple chute-like openings.
· Efforts will be made to preserve ecologically valuable feeding and habitats during and after the construction of the railway.
· To ensure the protection of water bodies and wetlands, geotextiles are used when storing construction materials to prevent potential contamination by suspended solids. In the vicinity of natural wetlands, special attention is paid to maintaining the water regime that is important for vegetation and habitats.
· Noise barriers are built based on the needs of the natural environment, for example near grouse hunting areas.
· Construction activities in forests are avoided during the main breeding season of animals and birds from April to June.
· After the railway is built, nature observations will continue to detect impacts that were not anticipated. Additional measures will be implemented if necessary.

Over 30 ecoducts and other mitigation measures, such as embankments on railway bridges and green bridges that animals can use to safely cross the railway, are planned for the Estonian section of the Rail Baltica route.

In addition, nearly 100 passages for small animals and amphibians are planned. The ecoducts are intended only for animals, and people are not welcome to explore even before the railway is completed, as they may scare away the timid forest dwellers.

Maintaining the water regime of surface and groundwater is important both from the point of view of human water supply and for the protection of natural communities and the preservation of the conditions of use of agricultural and commercial land. When designing and constructing a railway route, only such a solution can be acceptable that does not violate the water regime of the areas along the route. A mandatory part of the design work is more detailed geological surveys of the route, which address, among other things, issues of the water regime.

There is no single answer to this question, but it is not necessary to open additional mines in Estonia solely for the construction of Rail Baltica. Although it is estimated that 7,42 million cubic meters of aggregates will be needed to build the track embankment of the Estonian section of the Rail Baltica route, plus the volumes of the embankments of the surrounding roads, secondary or recyclable materials (e.g. previously excavated soil) will also be used as aggregates where possible. From a construction material logistics perspective, aggregates could be brought from up to 50 km from the route axis.

In Latvia, the southern 45-kilometer section of the Rail Baltica main line between Misa and the Lithuanian border is being built by the state-owned company Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas and the main contractor is ERB Rail. Construction will begin on seven sections with a total length of over 30 kilometers in spring 2026.
In the first four sections, 11 kilometers of route were prepared, 116 hectares of forest were cleared, and work is ongoing on 84 hectares; 100 explosive devices have been found and neutralized in the same area.

At the same time, a 16,5-hectare construction base has been completed near Iecava at the location of the future Rail Baltica infrastructure maintenance center.
In parallel with the main line, work will also continue on the Riga passenger terminals. The major construction stages of Riga Central Station – including the construction of the roof and glass facade and the installation of technical systems – are scheduled to be completed by September 2026. The building is scheduled to be partially put into operation by the end of this year.

In Lithuania, the construction of Rail Baltica is being led by the state-owned infrastructure company LTG Infra, part of the Lithuanian national railway group LTG Group. In 2025, LTG Infra signed contracts worth more than 800 million euros for Rail Baltica. In Lithuania, construction is underway on the 114-kilometer section between Kaunas and Panevėžys, and 9 kilometers of European-gauge rails have already been installed.
The next important stage is the section between Panevėžys and the Latvian border.