28.10.2025
Rail Baltic Estonia will start new geological surveys on the Pärnu–Ikla section this week to prepare for the design and construction of a high-speed railway in southern Estonia. The surveys, which will last until spring 2026, are necessary to design a safe and reliable railway.
The work will be carried out in the route corridor located in the territory of the city of Pärnu, Häädemeeste rural municipality and Saarde rural municipality. The aim is to supplement previously conducted geotechnical studies and specify the properties of the subsoil - to assess the strength of the soil, its suitability for construction and the groundwater level. The results will serve as the basis for the final design of the railway and facilities.
The surveys are being conducted by an international alliance consisting of Bouygues Travaux Publics, Budimex SA, INGEROP CONSEIL ET INGENIERIE (ICI), KMG Infra OÜ and WSP Finland – these companies are jointly designing and constructing the Rail Baltica section between Pärnu and the Estonian-Latvian border, which will be completed by 2030. The work will start this week from the north and in the coming weeks from the south. The surveys will last at least until the spring of 2026, and if necessary, drilling sites will be added to the previous ones.
Boreholes will be drilled approximately every 100–200 meters along the route corridor, from which samples will be taken for laboratory analysis. After drilling, the holes will be marked and left open for groundwater level measurement. After completion of the works, the land units will be restored to their previous condition as best as possible.
Depending on the soil, drilling machines on tracks, wheels or on the end of an excavator boom will be used for drilling. In order to minimize disruption to local residents, work will be carried out near residential areas between 7 am and 19 pm on weekdays, and around the clock on other sections of the route, and will be carried out by several subcontractors.
Permission from landowners is required to conduct surveys. Rail Baltic Estonia will inform and request prior consent from all property owners whose land falls within the Rail Baltica route corridor.
Conducting geological surveys along the Rail Baltica route is an important pre-construction stage. Similar drilling and surveys were also carried out in 2020.
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