Rail Baltica links Estonia to the European rail network for the first time

Rail Baltica is a new continuous standard-gauge railway connecting Tallinn via Riga and Kaunas to Warsaw, linking the three Baltic states to the European rail network for the first time. The Baltic route totals about 870 km (213 km in Estonia, 265 km in Latvia, 392 km in Lithuania); by mid-2026 construction had started on roughly 900 km, including 107 km in Estonia. Single-track completion of Phase 1 is planned for 2030, while double-track expansion depends on further funding. Update (24.09.2026): in a joint declaration the prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania acknowledged that the main line is now to enter service within the EU's 2028–2034 budget period, i.e. by 2034 instead of 2030; they are seeking at least €10bn in EU funding, and the first phase costs more than €14bn in total. Date = new 2034 target (placeholder 31 Dec, no exact day given) (LSM, 24.09.2026).