EXCITING: Lithuanian Government Approves Rail Baltica Infrastructure Plan from Kaunas to Poland

The Lithuanian government has approved the infrastructure development plan for the Rail Baltica section from Jiesia (Kaunas) to the border with Poland. The meeting also decided to initiate land acquisition procedures for public needs.

"The Rail Baltica connection with Poland is one of the most important sections of this project. The first high-speed trains on the newly built railway are planned to start heading towards Poland. Modern and high-quality transport infrastructure will ensure a new, higher standard of high-speed railway connection with Western Europe. In the current geopolitical context, this is a crucial condition for the economic growth and national security of the entire region," says Lithuanian Transport Minister Marius Skuodis.

"The high-speed railway line Rail Baltica will shorten travel time from Kaunas to Poland. It is also important because, with the approval of the special plan, it will allow for a double track, which in the long term will ensure greater transport capacity and efficiency," says Vytis Žalimas, CEO of LTG Infra.

The new double-track European standard gauge railway from Jiesia (Kaunas) to the Polish border will be constructed according to the shortest and least urbanized route, known as the 6A alternative, which was approved after intensive public discussions in 2022.

The railway line is planned to be built on new territories bypassing Marijampolė and Kalvarija, staying away from Kazlų Rūda, and, where technically possible, using sections of the existing European gauge railway. This section will continue to be used for regional passenger transport and military mobility needs. Currently, freight trains already operate on it between the Kaunas Intermodal Terminal and Western Europe.

It is planned that about 115 new structures necessary for the future railway infrastructure—tunnels, bridges, viaducts, animal crossings, and culverts—will be constructed on the section from Kaunas to the Lithuanian-Polish border.

Regional stations are planned in Marijampolė, Šeštokai, and Kazlų Rūda, which will be connected to the main line by regional links. The Rail Baltica European gauge railway lines in Lithuania and Poland are planned to be connected in 2028.

 

Source: LTG Infra Press Releases