Construction, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Funds, Railways, Transport

The total need for EU funding, stated in the application submitted by all countries, stands at 664.1 mln euros, including 278.9 mln euros for Lithuania, the country's Transport Ministry says.

The failure to secure additional EU funding would pose threat to the timely implementation of the Rail Baltica project, scheduled for 2026, Vice Minister of Transport Gytis Mazeika said.

If this funding is secured, the plan is to build a railway embankment from Kaunas to Panevezys by the end of 2023 and to build the first 60 kilometers of a European standard-gauge 1,435 mm-wide double track from Paleminas, Kaunas northwards to Panevezys.

That would be a part of the planned completely new railway line that will connect Kaunas with Panevezys, Riga and Tallinn and the latter with Helsinki. In this section, Lithuania is responsible for the Rail Baltica's section from Kaunas to the Lithuanian-Latvian border.

The 870-kilometer railway connecting Helsinki to Warsaw via Tallinn, Parnu, Riga, Panevezys, Kaunas and Vilnius is expected to be built by 2026.