19.12.2025
The construction of the Rail Baltica high-speed railway can only progress together with local communities, whose concerns and suggestions are at least as important to the project's credibility as to its schedule. Information meetings held in municipalities and cities along the route have become an important channel for highlighting areas of tension and questions – and where residents can get answers.
Trustful cooperation grows from small things
I recently participated in the development day “Cooperation – how to create and maintain it” organized by the Pärnu County Development Center and the Civil Society Foundation, where I had the opportunity to meet active local community leaders. In the course of daily activities, it is sometimes necessary to remind ourselves that our project also depends primarily on mutual trust and the creation of coherent networks. These factors create the foundation on which long-term and transparent cooperation can be built. As in communities, cooperation in large infrastructure projects develops not at the speed of a schedule, but at the speed of trust, because every decision and explanation directly affects people's daily lives.
The most important skill in building trust is listening. It can often seem that the issues raised by local communities are small or extraneous compared to the scale of a mega-project – as if they were “tin-and-dink”. Yet these details are often the ones that open the door to the real concerns and expectations of the community. If you listen carefully and do not underestimate the small signals, you get the feeling that people are truly involved, not just formally. By noticing the small things, you also get to the big and complex issues that the project must solve.
The core of strengthening cooperation is the activism of local communities. It is important to involve different community groups, which help to create continuous dialogue and feedback. Coherent networks create a reliable bridge between residents and the project team, making communication smoother and more transparent. The more the community perceives itself as a partner, the fewer misunderstandings will arise and the more firmly a common goal will be born, which will support the long-term success of the project.
Concerns that do not fit into the technical project
As construction progresses, we have increasingly set ourselves the goal of holding regular information meetings at various locations along the route. This year’s meetings have shown that they provide a good opportunity for people to share their thoughts, ask questions and get an overview of the progress of the works. Meetings will continue to be held in 2026 to ensure that the dialogue is consistent and that communities feel truly involved. Each meeting is a step towards a forward-looking and more coherent collaboration, where trust and a common purpose form a solid foundation for the project.
The next community meeting will take place on January 15, 2026 at 5:30 PM at Öpiku Conference Center in Ülemist City, Tallinn. This time the discussion will focus on the progress of the construction work and future perspectives of the Ülemiste passenger terminal. For additional information, please write to: liis.ollin@rbe.ee.
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