Tallinn–Pärnu section of Rail Baltica planned to open by the end of 2032 — ERR News
In Estonia, the main construction work on the Rail Baltica section between Tallinn and Pärnu is expected to reach its final stage by the end of 2030. Traffic on this part of the railway is planned to begin by the end of 2032, while the entire Estonian section of the project is to be completed by the end of 2034, ERR News reports.
Testing at the end of 2030
Rail Baltic Estonia is currently focused primarily on the Tallinn–Pärnu route. At the same time, construction is expected to begin from Pärnu to the Estonian-Latvian border.
The first test runs are planned to begin at the end of 2030. Rail Baltic Estonia CEO Anvar Salomets said that the section between Ülemiste and Tootsi is planned to be used for testing. Its final length will become known during the work.
According to Salomets, testing is intended to confirm that the various components of the railway system work together safely.
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Budget and financing
Rail Baltic Estonia management board member Lauri Ulm estimated the total construction budget at €3.5 billion for 200 kilometres of railway, or approximately €17 million per kilometre. According to him, constructing one kilometre of embankment costs between €7 million and €8 million, so these works account for slightly less than half of the budget.
The remaining costs, according to Ulm's estimate, are related to track superstructure, technical equipment, traffic management and electrification. A significant portion of the funds is expected to come through the EU's Connecting Europe Facility programme, although negotiations on the new EU budget are still ongoing.
Salomets noted that Rail Baltic Estonia's schedule is based on the assumption that the state will provide funding. Ulm called Rail Baltica a strategic project and expressed confidence that its construction would not be cancelled.
The Estonian government has also stated that postponing the completion deadlines for Rail Baltica would make it possible to use approximately €660 million more from the new EU budget period.
