Latvia cannot afford the Rail Baltica mega railway project. A parliamentary committee of inquiry is investigating the case

– Is inflationthis is obvious, but it is also clear that there was neither good project planning nor progress in its implementation. Our national costs of this project already amount to EUR 10 billion, and initially, a few years ago, they were estimated at less than EUR 2 billion, said the Latvian Minister of Agriculture in an interview for the LETA agency published on Friday. – Latvia there is no such money and no one wants to admit it honestly, added Krauze.

The minister emphasized that Latvia cannot allocate such amounts from the budget. Initially, as he recalled, the EU's share in the costs was to be 85 percent, but it may be only 15 percent. will be covered by funds. Perhaps – he continued – “it was imagined that in Riga one would get on a train and go straight to Berlin (via Warsaw)”. Meanwhile, as he noted, plans have changed and the train will not go to the Latvian capital, because a terminal is planned near Riga, in Salaspils.

The Latvian politician also noted that “many myths” have arisen in connection with the implementation of Rail Baltica, including the military significance of the project. According to him, if four bridges are planned to be built in Latvia for Rail Baltica purposes, experience is needed Ukraine show that bridges are usually bombed in the event of an armed conflict. Then, he said, “the project to ensure military mobility will have little importance.”

In mid-June this year, the Latvian Parliament established an investigative commission to investigate the reasons for the delays and drastically increasing costs of the construction of Rail Baltica. Prime Minister Evika Silina then drew attention to the “mismanagement” of this gigantic infrastructure investment in which three Baltic countries are involved.

Originally, in 2017, it was assumed that the project was to be completed in 2026 with total expenditure of just under EUR 6 billion. According to the latest reports of control institutions from LithuaniaLatvia and Estonia the investment is expected to consume several times more funds, up to EUR 25 billion, and will not be completed before the end of 2030.

– It is not clear how such a situation occurred – said the head of the Latvian government, announcing that if irregularities are confirmed, “the matter will be dealt with by law enforcement authorities.”

The work of the parliamentary committee is scheduled for the end of this year. The shareholders of RB Rail based in Riga, which coordinates the entire project, are companies and entities from three Baltic countries.

The construction of a high-speed railway connecting Estonian Tallinn with the Polish border has been included in the Trans-European Railway Network (TEN-T) program. Initially, a double-track line was planned to be laid on a section of approximately 900 km, according to the European standard of 1,435 mm, but currently – due to rising costs – the construction of a single-track line is primarily being considered. As expected, the journey from Tallinn to Vilnius would take 3 hours. and 38 minutes (included in the ticket price of EUR 76), and to Warsaw 6 hours. and 47 min.