29.05.2024
Today was placed For the one who will be named Linda Rail Baltica The cornerstone of the Ülemiste passenger terminal is ceremonially laid. The modern terminal, a hub for trains and buses, conveniently connected by tram to the airport, city center, and port, will be completed in 2028.
The construction of the terminal, which began last autumn, has reached the cornerstone laying stage and today the cementing of the time capsule was honored with the participation of the Director-General of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility (DG MOVE). Magda Kopczynska, Minister of Climate of the Republic of Estonia Kristen Michael, Head of Rail Baltic Estonia Anvar Salomets, Head of the RB Rail Joint Venture Marko Kivila, representative of Zaha Hadid Architects and one of the authors of the architectural solution for the Ülemiste terminal Michele Salvi, Head of Merko Ehitus Estonia Jaan Mäe andKMG Infra Manager Indrek Pappel.
"We have been dreaming of a fast connection to Europe since the days of Lennart Meri," noted the Minister of Climate Kristen Michael. “This year is a landmark year in the construction of Rail Baltic – in addition to laying the cornerstone of the Ülemiste terminal, construction of the main route has also begun. By the end of this year, work will be underway on a third, nearly 70 kilometers, of the main route, and almost half, or 105 kilometers, have been covered by contracts,” he highlighted the development. “The establishment of a high-quality connection will bring a lot of work in the infrastructure sector and, when completed, will provide Estonia’s people and economy with a much-needed new opportunity.”
“Rail Baltica is a project of Europe, the Baltic States and Estonia. The Baltic States must be connected to the European rail network, for the sake of security of supply chains, convenient travel, economic development and, last but not least, for our common European security. The European Commission has been and will remain a strong supporter of Rail Baltica,” said the Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility. Magda Kopczynska today in Tallinn.
Chairman of the Board of Rail Baltic Estonia, Anvar Salomets, admitted that reaching this point has not come easily: "Just a few years ago, we would not have believed that we would be able to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone for the Ülemiste joint terminal here and now with so many supporters of the railway connection, but the implementation of the Rail Baltica project in Estonia has so far shown that as soon as we get to the construction phase, it is possible to act effectively and efficiently. In four years at the latest, I would like to invite everyone to the opening of the Rail Baltica Ülemiste terminal."
Chairman of the Board of Merko Ehitus Estonia Jaan Mäe said on behalf of the builders Merko Ehitus Eesti and KMG Infra: "It is a great honor to literally build the foundation for the future. Rail Baltica will bring a new era to Estonia, and many construction engineers, skilled workers and partners are contributing to its arrival. I would like to thank everyone who has helped with the initial construction work of the Ülemiste terminal up to this point. The construction of the underground part of the terminal continues at a fast pace, so that everything goes ahead and is completed according to plan."
The architectural concept for the Ülemiste joint terminal has been created by the internationally renowned Zaha Hadid Architects in collaboration with the Estonian design company Esplan. The first phase of the passenger terminal construction is currently underway, with a contract value of 45 million euros and the construction of which is being carried out by Merko Ehitus Eesti AS and KMG Infra OÜ. The first phase will include the construction of underground railway support structures, utility rooms, and tunnels for pedestrians and light vehicles.
The next stages will include the construction of public areas, roads, streets, parking lots, as well as the tramway, the solutions for which are currently being designed, and the terminal building itself. In addition, in the case of Rail Baltica, the main route and many other objects, such as viaducts and ecoducts, are already under construction.
To mark the milestone, the first mobility conference curated by Rail Baltica will take place tomorrow in Tallinn's Ülemiste, where experts from Estonia and Europe will discuss how close is too far, how fast is too slow, and what can be dreamed of in Estonia and what is worth realizing.
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