Poland signals later Rail Baltica timeline

Rail Baltica works are advancing in Lithuania, including on the route towards Panevėžys and at the Neris river crossing, while Poland has signalled a later timeline for its section. Photo: Rail Baltica.

POLAND: A Polish deputy minister has said Rail Baltica may not be completed before 2040, diverging from the project’s phased EU timetable, which calls for an operational north-south connection in phase 1 by 2030.

The remark was made on March 17 by Poland’s deputy infrastructure minister Piotr Malepszak in an interview. It represents his assessment and does not constitute a formal revision of the project timeline.

Poland is the southern link connecting the Baltic states to the wider EU rail network. Delays on the Polish section would affect how the corridor functions in practice, even if other sections advance.

Poland points to timeline beyond 2030

Malepszak said completion could come around 2040 rather than 2030, citing the scale and cost of works on the Polish section, including the route towards the Lithuanian border. Parts of that section are not expected to enter construction before the 2030s, according to the interview.

At EU level, Rail Baltica is now governed by a phased completion plan. Under the Commission’s July 2025 implementing decision, phase 1 is meant to deliver an operational north-south connection by 2030, while full build-out follows later.

Progress further north shows that delivery is moving at different speeds across the corridor. In Lithuania, construction is ongoing on a 46 km section towards Panevėžys, with an additional 12 km tender under way, while further tenders are planned for embankment works and mainline superstructure. Agreements on the Neris river bridge were also presented as a way to accelerate construction.