Estonia wants to re-launch Tallinn-Warsaw passenger rail service
04.06.2010 | Juhan Parts | English news
Estonia plans to propose to restore the Tallinn-Warsaw passenger rail service by using the existing rail infrastructure, said economy minister Juhan Parts today.
Parts told ERR that Estonia will put forward such a proposal at the meeting of transport ministers of EU countries to be held on June 8.
If the proposal finds backing in Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and all partners will take swift action, the first train could go on the line in about a year at the soonest, Parts said today at a press conference.
Juhan Parts met with Pavel Telicka, EU official who coordinates the Rail Baltica project in the EU, in May. Parts said that Estonia would allocate 1.3 billion kroons for the project which includes EU aid: "However, this requires good cooperation and willingness from all three Baltic states and the European Commission".
The Estonian government 's position is that it is necessary to launch passenger train service on the existing rail infrastructure in the next few years. "Equally important is to ensure that it is possible to travel to Warsaw reasonably quickly by rail," said Parts, addign that this required joint initiative to overcome bureucracy and technical obstacles.
Rail Baltica project will be discussed in June in the conference of pan-European transport networks.
In April the Baltic states launched a feasibility study for Rail Baltica corridor to find out if construction of a new 1435 mm gauge European standard railway line is feasible and what would be the costs and benefits for the countries concerned.
Based on the results of the study, Latvia Lithuania and Estonia will make the decision when the new EU standard railway line can be developed.
The contract to carry out the feasibility study was won by UK firm AECOM. The study is to be completed in early 2011.
Rail Baltica feasibility study is included in Trans-European Transport Network 2007-2013 multiannual programme approved by European Commission. Within the programme, the project has been assigned Community funding of 50% of the total project costs. The national funding of 50% is provided from state budget resources of each country concerned. The total cost of the feasibility study amounts to EUR 396,000.
Source: www.balticbusinessnews.com
