Baltic, Construction, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Railways, Transport

The Rail Baltic project has fallen behind schedule and experts believe that implementation of the project will take about 2.5 years longer, Linkaits said. It means that several individual construction projects that are part of Rail Baltic and had to start in 2020 may actually begin later, he added.

"We are working to secure all the necessary financing," the minister said. "We are talking to Brussels and the other Baltic countries on rational use of the funds allocated for the project. At the same time, we are also considering additional financing, because with the money we have received so far we will not be able to build something great."

The European Union's financing for the project has not changed, but as the project evolved, it became clear that it will cost more than estimated earlier, explained Linkaits.

"I have asked all the parties involved to present by March 13 a clear vision of the succession in which all the parts of the project will be implemented," Linkaits said.

Something will definitely be constructed by 2026, but it will certainly not be the entire railway, the minister said.

Rail Baltic is a double track, European standard 1,435 mm gauge electrified railway for passenger and freight transport to be built from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border. The overall length of the railway will be 870 kilometers.