RailBaltica Phase I Alignment to Run through Valga

05.07.2007

At today’s cabinet session the Government decided to support the proposal of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Juhan Parts to implement the Rail Baltica project by stages, directing the phase I rail link between Tallinn and Riga through Valga.

Anti Moppel, Counsellor of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications explains, „The whole Rail Baltica project is divided into three phases and today’s decision only concerns phase I, i.e. investment into the railway infrastructure in order to achieve the speed of 120 km/h. Therefore we cannot rule out the possibility that the 160 km/h alignment from Tallinn to Riga , to be implemented at a later stage in the project, will run through Pärnu.”

In the near term Estonia and Latvia are to sign a Memorandum of Understanding, in which they agree about the implementation of the Rail Baltica project by stages, designate Valga/Valka as the frontier crossing point along the Tallinn-Riga alignment and the section between Tartu and Valga as the frontier crossing area of this alignment on the territory of Estonia . Similar memoranda about implementation by stages and determining the frontier crossing areas are already in place between Poland and Lithuania , and Lithuania and Latvia .

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications will also conduct further detailed studies concerning the ways of carrying out the subsequent development phases of the project.

The Rail Baltica international development project is divided into three investment packages. The first package is aimed at modernising the non-electrified alignment Tallinn-Tartu-Valga/Valka-Riga. In this rail section the gauge width is 1520 mm and maximum speed will be 120 km/h. The second investment package is designed at increasing the speed on this alignment to 160 km/h. The third package represents a solution of building an entirely new direct alignment between Tallinn , Pärnu and Riga with a design speed of 160 km/h.

The main investments required for implementing the Rail Baltica phases will come from the own funds of AS Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways Ltd), with up to 30% of the Tartu-Valga section funded by the EU Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) budget for 2007-2013.

About 354 million EEK is needed for reconstructing the Tartu-Valga rail link in 2008-2009. At present design work is being carried out for this section. The above amount does not include the cost of reconstructing the main tracks and passenger platforms of the Valga Terminal. These costs are currently being determined. In 2009-2010 the own funds of AS Eesti Raudtee will be invested into reconstructing the rail sections between Tallinn and Tapa. More specific investment needs will be set out in the AS Eesti Raudtee business plan.

For further detailed studies co-funding in the amount of 50% of the total project cost will be sought from the EU TEN-T budget for 2007-2013 in a coordinated effort with Latvia and Lithuania . The remaining 50% required for funding the Estonian element of these costs will be channelled through the budget of the Estonian Railway Inspectorate.

The first Rail Baltica feasibility study about the strategic issues concerning the international transport corridor was completed in March 2007. The final report can be accessed at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications website: http://www.mkm.ee/index.php?id=7306

Rail Baltica is listed as one of the EU TEN-T priority projects and is to link by rail the cities of Warsaw , Kaunas , Riga , Tallinn and Helsinki .