As Rail Baltic projections are becoming clearer, it is evident that the total cost of the Rail Baltic project will be higher than the original estimate of 3.68 billion euros, emphasized Rubesa. RB Rail council member Indrek Orav explained that the current Rail Baltic implementation schedule is more realistic than a couple of years ago when the project's cost was estimated at 3.68 bln euros.
The Lithuanian government is planning to support the Rail Baltic route from Kaunas to the border with Latvia in December, Lithuanian Transport and Communications Ministry's representative Nerijus Kaucikas told reporters today. The failure of Lithuania's state-run railway company Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LG) to sign the contract on the public procurement scheme for the European-gauge project Rail Baltica was due to exclusively technical reasons, a Lithuanian representative has said.
Orav confirmed that Rail Baltic route in Estonia had been formally approved, but public discussions were still continuing.
Latvian Transport Ministry’s spokeswoman Ilze Greiskalna told that the increase of the estimated financing is logical and grounded, and the three Baltic states and RB Rail are providing regular information about it to the European Commission.
She said that British consultancy Aecom drew preliminary cost estimate in 2011 in order to find out whether the project can be implemented at all. "When the decision is made about implementation of the project, next steps result in more detailed estimates, particular routes, technical specifications, solutions," she said.
At the same time, exact financing will be clear when construction design projects are ready and procurements are completed.
Rail Baltic is the project for the construction of a European-gauge high-speed railroad from Tallinn to Lithuania's border with Poland.
