Rail Baltica

The Rail Baltica is a planned rail link, the Warsaw via Kaunas and Riga to Tallinn - to lead - with connections to Helsinki by ferry or tunnel. Participating countries are the EU member states Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland. It was decided the construction of the connection in 2001 in Wismar, with completion scheduled for 2015. Meanwhile, the start of construction in 2018 and completion is planned for 2023. The execution should not take place in the Baltic states in the usual in Western Europe track width of 1,435 mm and as there current standard 1,524 mm. The total length will be at least 950 km. Driving time the total distance would therefore - be 3 hrs 48 mins - with a target of the EU speed of 250 km / hr. Presumably, the track will be designed for a maximum speed of 200 km / h in order to limit the costs. In this case, the travel time will turn out at least an hour later. Rail Baltica is the TEN-T priority project 27 that the total cost will be, according to a - quoted in the online magazine The Baltic Course - study amount to 3.68 billion euros. The Baltic Course reported 21 May 2012 that the financing of the project has not yet been clarified.

A tunnel between Tallinn and Helsinki would cost an additional two to three billion euros.

• 3.1 Studies on the tunnel between Tallinn and Helsinki

Course

Polish- Lithuanian border - Marijampolė

The expansion of the track is to build the distance Šiauliai - combined Lithuanian- Latvian border in a project. The total cost will amount to 270 million euros. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2013. On 16 May 2011 confirmed the Lithuanian Minister of Transport that will be completed in Rail Baltica end of 2013 from the Polish border to Kaunas. According to the Lithuanian Minister of Transport from mid-July 2011, about 15 km long section between Mockava and Šeštokai is completed. According to him, it is the first completed section of the Rail Baltica. In July 2013, the Lithuanian national railway company signed a contract for the reconstruction of the section of Sestokai after Marijampolė to standard gauge. The reconstruction of the 28 km long section will take 19 months and cost 217 million euros.

Šiauliai - Lithuanian- Latvian border

The construction of the line is in a project with the upgrading of the Polish - Lithuanian border - summarized Marijampolė. The project is expected to cost 270 million euros and be completed in December 2013.

Lithuanian - Latvian border - Jelgava and Riga - Valka

The conversion and extension of the route is expected to cost 97 million euros and will be completed in December 2013.

Valga - Tartu

On the section Valga - Tartu the tracks were renewed; Valga station was rebuilt and increased the number of its tracks. The section was completed in December 2010. The costs amounted to 40 million euros.

Tunnel between Tallinn and Helsinki

A tunnel between Tallinn and Helsinki would cost an additional two to three billion euros.

The length of the tunnel would depend on the route. When the shortest distance he would have a length of about 50 km, which would give the longest underwater tunnel in the world.