Rail Baltic Estonia and INF Infra signed a contract initiating the construction of the 8.65 km Kangru – Saku rail section of Rail Baltica mainline in Estonia.
This agreement marks the entry of the entire Rail Baltica passenger mainline in Harjumaa into construction.
The contract covers the Harjumaa section between Kangru and Saku, taking the high-speed railway through the Männiku bog and including facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, such as the Kivitee pedestrian bridge and the Saunasilla underpass. Environmental preservation is prioritized as the Männiku bog is traversed, allowing nature and the railway to coexist.
“The start of construction on the Kangru – Saku rail section is an important milestone for the Rail Baltica project. With this contract, we now have 73 km covered or under construction in Estonia, over one-third of the 213-km Rail Baltica mainline in the country,” Anvar Salomets, Chairman of the Board at Rail Baltic Estonia, said.
The contract is valued at EUR 67.2 million, with work on this segment expected to continue until February 2028. According to the interim schedule, by the end of 2025, at least 3 km of mainline embankment, including the Kivitee bridge and a pedestrian path, should be completed. By the end of 2026, at least 6 km of embankment should be finished, with the entire segment slated for completion by February 2028.
“Constructing the railway through the Männiku bog is a significant challenge. To minimise environmental impact, we plan to use highly innovative embankment solutions that have not yet been applied in Estonian infrastructure construction. These planned solutions are significantly more eco-friendly than traditional embankment construction methods,” Robert Sinikas, member of the management board at INF Infra said.
Rail Baltic Estonia aims to establish a modern high-speed rail link by 2030, connecting Estonia with Latvia, Lithuania, and the rest of Europe. The Rail Baltica project promotes regional cooperation, enhances passenger and freight transport options, and supports an environmentally friendly, sustainable transportation system throughout the Baltics.
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