Construction, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Lithuania, Railways, Transport

"I have to admit that I don't see the project having much potential and the Baltic countries have quite little to gain here. Since Finland is cut off more at the moment, they need it more. Helsinki would become a transit center and they would sell their goods better to Europe," Poskus told BNS.

According to Poskus the tunnel project is so expensive that it is hard to see how it would pay off. "Therefore my personal position is that Rail Baltic is important, but in the economical sense I don't see at the moment that it is profitable to extend the tunnel," he added.

At the same time Poskus said that Rail Baltic will never be economically profitable. "It is a geopolitical and security political step so that we would have contact between the three states, and from there on also with the rest of Europe," he added.

According to Poskus the Rail Baltic project is at present going according to plan, but there is some uncertainty concerning financing the construction of the high-speed railway after 2020.

The tunnel's estimated cost is about 13 billion euros. According to Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Kristen Michal, building the tunnel would become profitable in 40 years.

NB! The BNS journalist's trip to Vilnius was paid for by the European Commission.