- Rail Baltica
Rail Baltica is a project to link the rail networks of the
Baltic States with each other and the rest of Europe. The project envisages a continuous rail link fromTallinn (Estonia ), toWarsaw (Poland ), going viaLatvia andLithuania . It officially describes itself as "linkingHelsinki –Tallinn –Riga –Kaunas –Warsaw and continuing on toBerlin ", [ [http://www.rail-baltica.net/pub/ Rail Baltica ] ] though in reality the section fromHelsinki to Tallinn will be operated by existing commercial ferries. In the future a proposedHelsinki to Tallinn Tunnel could provide a rail link between the two cities. [ [http://yle.fi/news/id86525.html YLE News ] ] TheEuropean Union has allocated €124m, in addition to structural adjustment funds provided principally to new EU members, and in addition to contributions from the member states themselves. [ [http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/491&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en Rapid - Press Releases - EUROPA ] ] The project is part of the European Union TENTrans-European Networks . The project is due for completion in 2013. [ [http://www.rzd-partner.com/news/2008/04/18/322781.html Latvia to Begin Constructing Rail Baltica — News — RZD-Partner Portal ] ] Another aspect of the project is the conversion of the Baltic States' rail network toStandard Gauge (1,435 mm), thus improving rail integration with Europe at the expense of integration with theRussia n system (1,524 mm gauge). [ [http://www.transp.lt/Default.aspx?Element=IManagerData&DL=E&TopicID=2&ArticleID=4098&Page=3&Page2=0&Action=0&SearchTXT= Lietuvos Respublikos Susisiekimo Ministerija ] ]tatus
On
28 April 2008 ,VR Group , the former Finnish state railways, announced their track repair division, VR Track, had won the contract to renovate 66 km of line from Tartu to Valga, on the Latvian border. The work is due to be completed by 2009. [ [http://www.vrgroup.fi/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_119.html VR Group ] ]External links
* [http://www.rail-baltica.net Rail Baltica web site]
References
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