The Government of Lithuania has approved the infrastructure development plan for Rail Baltica’s link with Poland, from Jiesia (Kaunas) and it was also decided to launch procedures for land acquisition for public needs.
The new double-track European railway from Jiesia (Kaunas) to the Polish border will be built according to the so-called Alternative 6A, which was approved in 2022 after intensive discussions with the public and is the shortest option and also the most distanced one from urban areas.
The railway line is planned to be built in new areas starting from Jiesia station, bypassing Marijampolė and Kalvarija, moving away from Kazlų Rūda and, where technically possible, using sections of the existing European railway.
This section will continue to be used for regional passenger services and military mobility. It is already running freight trains between Kaunas Intermodal Terminal and Western Europe.
About 115 new structures necessary for the future railway infrastructure – tunnels, bridges, viaducts, animal crossings and culverts – are planned to be built along the stretch from Kaunas to the Lithuanian-Polish border.
“The Rail Baltica high-speed rail line will shorten the journey time from Kaunas to Poland. It is also important because the approval of the special plan will result in a double-track railway, which in the long term will guarantee higher transport capacity and efficiency,” Vytis Žalimas, CEO of LTG Infra said.
Regional stations are planned in Marijampolė, Šeštokai and Kazlų Rūda, which will be connected to the main line by regional links.
The Lithuanian and Polish sections of the European-gauge railway Rail Baltica are scheduled to be connected in 2028.
“Rail Baltica’s link with Poland is one of the most important parts of the project, as it is planned that the first high-speed trains on the newly built railway will start in the direction of Poland. The modern high-quality transport infrastructure will provide a new, higher standard high-speed rail link to Western Europe. In today’s geopolitical context, it is a key condition for the economic growth and national security of the entire region,” Marius Skuodis, Lithuanian Minister of Transport and Communications said.
The 870 km Rail Baltica will be 392 km long in Lithuania, while in Latvia the line will have a length of 265 km and in Estonia, 213 km.
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