Welcome to the Trainscapes segment! Each week here on Geek Alabama, Trainscapes will feature train content including videos of trains and behind the scenes action of trains and locomotives. Some people have an interest in seeing trains, and we here at Geek Alabama aim to please the train lovers!
In this episode of Railways Explained, we return to the Rail Baltica project, one of the most ambitious railway infrastructure investments in Europe, connecting Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with Poland and the wider European standard-gauge railway network.
When we covered Rail Baltica more than three years ago, the project was presented as a fully electrified, double-track, mixed-traffic railway designed for passenger speeds of up to 230 km/h, freight trains of up to 1,050 meters, ERTMS Level 2 signalling, and full integration of the Baltic States into the European rail system.
But since then, the project has changed dramatically.
The original cost estimate of around €5.8 billion has increased several times over, with current estimates reaching approximately €23.8 billion. At the same time, the project has shifted toward a phased implementation strategy, with Phase 1 focused on delivering a reduced single-track configuration by 2030, while many parts of the original vision — including full double-tracking, wider freight terminal development, and deeper integration of major urban hubs — are being pushed into an undefined second phase.
Categories: Trainscapes Stuff
