Rail operators from the Baltic states on Wednesday announced a joint public procurement for trains to run on the European-gauge Rail Baltica line currently under construction, the Lithuanian Transport Ministry said.
Lithuania’s LTG Link, Latvia’s Vivi and Estonia’s Elron launched a joint tender for European-standard regional rolling stock. The total value of the purchase will be determined after a manufacturer is selected and a contract is signed.
Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said Lithuania has already laid its first Rail Baltica tracks and is now preparing for the next key phase.
“By cooperating with neighbouring Baltic countries, we are taking another important step, the acquisition of new trains,” Taminskas said in a statement.
Lithuania plans to acquire eight regional trains, while Latvia and Estonia will share the remaining 12.
The trains are expected to offer around 200 seats, with both first- and second-class cars, dedicated bicycle areas and spaces for passengers with disabilities. They will be capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 kph.
According to the ministry, the joint procurement will help reduce costs and ensure technical compatibility across the Baltic countries’ rail systems.
Rail Baltica will connect Tallinn, Pärnu, Riga, Panevėžys, Kaunas, Vilnius and Warsaw. The section in Lithuania will span 392 kilometres.
The project is part of the European Union’s Northern military mobility corridor. Under EU law, core trans-European transport network projects must be completed by 2030, with the full network finalised by 2050. The Rail Baltica line from Tallinn to Warsaw is scheduled to begin operations by 2030.
However, the European Court of Auditors said in January that the project is unlikely to be completed by 2030 as previously planned and currently has no final completion deadline.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
