ON TRACK
The £13billion train line to connect three European cities by 2030
And three other European train routes launching
A HUGE new train line set to connect three European cities will launch by 2030.
Rail Baltica is a 540-mile high speed line running through three countries in eastern Europe.
4
4
The route would connect three capitals - Tallinn in Estonia, Riga in Latvia and Vilnius in Lithuania.
This would include three "multimodal" train terminals in each city, at Muuga, Salaspills and Kaunas, respectively.
There would also run to places such as Riga Airport, as well as regional stations, other airports and other seaports.
A new station would be the Ülemiste Linda International Passenger Terminal, designed by the famous Zaha Hadid Architects.
Read more on trains
The Estonian terminal will begin work next year, and open February 2028.
Trains would run at speeds up to 155mph - faster than the current 50-75mph.
The new route would be the first of its kind, with no direct train routes connecting the Baltic states.
It would then be extended on to other destinations such as the Poland and Finland.
Most read in News Travel
The high speed trains would run from Tallinn to Warsaw and Tallinn to Vilnius around four times a day with the longest route taking around 6hr47.
The Vilnius-Kaunas-Warsaw line would have ten trains a day, with a number of night routes including Tallinn-Riga-Kaunas-Warsaw-Berlin.
Watch incredible hyperloop train of the future smash speed record on mission to whisk passengers at more than 300mph
Tickets would range from €11 (£9) to €76 (£63) depending on the length of the route.
The cost of the new train line is estimated to cost €15.3billion (£12.9billion).
This is more than the amount predicted in 2017 that was estimated at €5.8billion (£4.9billion).
It is feared it could even jump to €24.8billion (£20.4billion).
However, it is predicted that the economic benefits will be as much as €48billion (£39billion).
The first phase will include a single track that will launch by 2030.
The second phase will include a second track and extra train stations.
4
4
There is no confirmed end date for the second phase.
The majority of the project has been funded by the EU, with the rising costs due to inflation, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
European Commission Coordinator Catherine Trautmann said: “The priority is to connect the three Baltic states to the European railway network by 2030.
"This is a strategic necessity. We need to focus our efforts on this."
A number of other major new train routes are launching across Europe.
A £21billion line will connect Paris and Milan in 2032 with a faster train line, reducing the time by three hours.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Earlier this summer, a new train route let you pay just £7 to travel to three European countries - Italy, Croatia and Slovenia.
And a new train route dubbed "easyJet on rails" will link France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Sun Travel visit Tallinn
The Sun's Steve Corbett recently visited Tallinn - and said it was like being in a Disney film.
A guided walking tour of Tallinn’s Old Town quickly displays why it’s a Unesco World Heritage site.
Pastel-coloured medieval buildings with snow-coated red roofs lining cobblestone streets make it feel like the set of a Disney film.
All roads seem to lead to the quaint central square which is home to bars, cafes and restaurants serving modern Nordic/European food.
A visit to St Nicholas’ Church, which doubles as a museum is a must too, with both Estonian history and a glass lift taking me 50ft up to a sky-deck offering city views.
Topics