Rail Baltica – a New High-Speed Rail Link Connecting the Baltic States with Europe
Rail Baltica is an international high-speed rail project that will establish a modern and environmentally sustainable railway connection between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, integrating the region with the rest of Europe. It is the largest infrastructure project in the Baltic States in the past 100 years and forms part of the European Union’s North Sea–Baltic TEN-T corridor.
The new standard-gauge (1435 mm) electrified railway will span a total of 870 kilometers, running through the Baltic States to Poland. Rail Baltica will improve both passenger and freight transport links while reducing dependence on road and air transport.
Passenger rail services on Rail Baltica will operate at both international and regional levels. Regional trains are planned to run at speeds of up to 200 km/h, while international high-speed trains will operate at speeds of up to 249 km/h.
Procurement of Rolling Stock for Rail Baltica
Due to the historical use of broad-gauge (1520 mm) railway infrastructure in the Baltic States, new standard-gauge rolling stock will be procured for Rail Baltica services.
According to the plans, regional passenger train services on Rail Baltica in Estonia will be operated by Elron (AS Eesti Liinirongid), which is also responsible for managing the procurement of the rolling stock.
The new regional trains will be used for domestic services within Estonia, with the potential extension of the route from Tallinn to Riga (Republic of Latvia). Up to six 25 kV electric multiple units (EMUs) will be procured, each with a maximum speed of 200 km/h and a length of up to 100 meters. Each train will have up to 200 seats.
Domestic regional services in Estonia are scheduled to commence on 8 December 2030.
Planned Timeline
The procurement process will consist of three stages: preparatory market consultation, launch of the public procurement procedure, selection of the successful bidder and contract signing.
Preparatory Stage – Market Consultation
- 7 April – 9 May 2025: Elron invites interested manufacturers to provide information on suitable rolling stock.
Public Procurement Launch
- June 2025: Launch of the public procurement procedure for 1435 mm electric multiple units (EMU).
Contract Award
- December 2025: Contract signing with the selected supplier of 1435 mm electric multiple units (EMU).
According to the preliminary schedule, the trains are expected to be delivered by autumn 2029.
Market Consultation Documents for Suppliers:
- Request for information for Rail Baltica Rolling Stock Procurement (updated 25.04.2025)
- RFI questions from participants (updated 25.04.2025)
- RFI annex 1 RB Rolling Stock Requirements Standards and Regulations