Rail Baltica will begin public consultation procedure for Panevėžys rail node which will comprise and international passenger station located in the western part next to the existing transport hub, cargo terminal and infrastructure maintenance depot.
The preferred solution of the project will bring closer the standard-gauge narrow-gauge rail networks, and it will preserve all 23 structures located in the territory of the Šilas garden community.
In cooperation with the institutions concerned, the Department of Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and LTG Infra, it was agreed that the railway route detailed in the special plan for the construction of the Panevėžys railway node should be shifted to the eastern side, using the territory of the narrow-gauge railway.
According to the project developers, Rail Baltica will have a significant impact on the regions on both side of the European railway route.
“Our aim has always been to meet the interests of the residents and the goals of the strategically important Rail Baltica project. We are happy that we managed to find an optimal solution for the local community and the fast railway track – these solutions will allow us to preserve all 23 structures located in the territory of the Šilas garden community. We hope that improved solutions that meet public expectations will allow the project to move forward faster,” Loreta Maskaliovienė, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications said.
In October 2023, the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport approved an alternative where the railway infrastructure of Rail Baltica should be developed in Panevėžys. A regional passenger station meeting the needs of the region is planned near Gustoniai and a cargo station, infrastructure maintenance depot, cargo terminals, cargo and military equipment yards are planned to be built nearby.
The substantiated proposals for the infrastructure development plan of the Panevėžys rail node are expected to be presented before 17 September.
One of the main goals of the Rail Baltica project is to integrate the capitals of the Baltic states into the European railway network. In order to achieve the greatest possible involvement and information of the public, not only procedural, but also additional meetings with Panevėžys city and district municipalities and communities were planned in order to answer all the questions that arise.
Part of Rail Baltica in Lithuania, three international passenger stations are planned – in Vilnius, Kaunas and Panevėžys. It is planned that after the construction of the European standard Rail Baltica railway, passenger trains will be able to travel at a speed of up to 249 km/h. The journey by train from Panevėžys to Kaunas will then take about 37 minutes, and it will be possible to reach Riga in 55 minutes.
The Rail Baltica standard-gauge corridor will connect Warsaw, Kaunas, Vilnius, Panevėžys, Riga, Pärnu and Tallinn. The total length of Rail Baltica in the Baltic States is 870 km, of which in Lithuania will be a 392 km long line, in Latvia, 265 km, and in Estonia, 213 km.
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