Estonia: Government to allocate EUR 275mn for Rail Baltica

The Estonian government will allocate almost EUR 200mn for the construction of the Rail Baltica railway and another EUR 75mn for a joint rail depot in Tallinn’s Ülemiste district over the next four years, Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Svet announced, ERR reports. He said that the funds would come from the sale of CO2 quotas. The money will cover Estonia’s national contribution to the project. However, Estonia still needs another EUR 400-500mn before 2030 to complete the first phase of the construction project, Svet noted. Rail Baltica is crucial for Estonia’s connectivity in freight, passenger, and military transport, the minister stressed. Also, the railway will allow to open a regional passenger train connection between Tallinn and Pärnu, he added.