Lithuania plans to complete the multibillion-euro Rail Baltica project, including connecting Vilnius to the international line, until the end of 2033, according to a government-planning document.
The target date is outlined in a special infrastructure development plan prepared by the Transport Ministry for the Kaunas-Vilnius section, estimated to cost about 2.5 billion euros. The plan still requires government approval.
According to the document, the project will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, running through 2030, land acquisition for public needs will be completed, allowing construction of the priority north-south corridor.
In the second phase, Lithuania plans to finalise construction of the European-gauge railway and connect Vilnius to the broader Rail Baltica network.
The government is expected to begin land acquisition procedures once the plan is approved. Initial land takings are scheduled through 2027 in the Kaunas and Jonava regions, with further acquisitions from 2028 in the Kaisiadorys, Elektrenai and Trakai districts, as well as in Vilnius city and district, depending on funding and additional government approval.
Main construction works – including the core railway line, regional connections, and installation of energy and traffic management systems – are also expected to begin in 2028.
The Transport Ministry had not previously announced a final completion date but now says the entire project should be finished until the end of 2033.
Earlier, the project’s Lithuania head, Arenijus Jackus, warned that the Kaunas-Vilnius section would not be completed until 2030, when the main line in Lithuania was currently scheduled for completion. He suggested progress could be accelerated through partnerships with the private sector.
As of early 2025, about 200 million euros had been earmarked for the section, with negotiations over additional funding with Brussels expected before 2030.
The plan estimates total investment in the Kaunas-Vilnius infrastructure at about 2.5 billion euros. Overall first-phase investment in Rail Baltica in Lithuania through 2030 is projected at 5.6 billion euros, of which 1.6 billion euros has already been secured, 85% from European Union funds and 15% from the state budget.
Construction of the Kaunas-Vilnius line is expected to require the acquisition of about 2,500 land plots covering roughly 1,700 hectares, as well as 467 buildings, including 83 residential properties. Compensation costs have not been disclosed.
In the Kaunas and Jonava regions alone, about 280 plots totalling 447 hectares are set to be acquired, with around 6 million euros allocated for compensation and 1.5 million euros for preparing land acquisition projects.
Vice Transport Minister Roderikas Ziobakas said earlier this year that land acquisition in those regions was expected to begin soon.
The wider Rail Baltica project – constructed jointly by the Baltic states – faces significant challenges, particularly funding shortfalls, amid rising costs.
The line, part of the European Union’s trans-European transport network and military mobility corridor, is intended to link Tallinn, Riga, Panevezys and Kaunas with Warsaw. Under EU rules, core network projects are to be completed until 2030, though the European Court of Auditors said in January that Rail Baltica was unlikely to meet that deadline and lacks a clear final completion date.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said after meeting her Baltic counterparts last week that the countries must demonstrate political will to complete the railway until 2030, though officials acknowledged the timeline would be challenging.
Rail Baltica is designed for both civilian and military use, in line with NATO and EU mobility standards. Passenger trains are expected to reach speeds of up to 249 kph, while freight trains would operate at up to 120 kph.
The Lithuanian section of the line will span 392 kilometres, with 265 kilometres planned in the first phase. Authorities estimate the project could generate an overall economic impact of about 45 billion euros, including 23.4 billion euros in direct socioeconomic benefits and an annual boost of 0.5% to 0.7% to the Baltic States’ GDP. (LRT)