According to TRINITI partner Tõnis Tamme the members of the Rail Baltica Support Group of the parliament Riigikogu and the Rail Baltica Business Network (RBBN) recently held a joint seminar in the Conference Hall of the Estonian parliament. The seminar focused on the further development of the new Rail Baltica railway, both in the Estonian context and globally. Presentations were given by Anvar Salomets, Chairman of the Board of Rail Baltic Estonia OÜ, Riia Sillave – CEO of the international freight terminal operator HHLA TK Estonia, and transport and transit expert Raivo Vare.
Anvar Salomets gave an overview of the Rail Baltica sites to be built in Estonia this year and added that this year will be remarkable for the project as the people of Estonia will have the opportunity to witness the rise of many of the Rail Baltica facilities with their own eyes. “Contracts have been signed for the completion of the objects, which means that the timetable is very tight. This year will see the completion of projects such as the Muuga freight terminal, Ülemiste rolling stock depot and the infrastructure maintenance centres,” Salomets said.
In her presentation Riia Sillave gave an overview of HHLA TK Estonia’s development prospects in connection with the Rail Baltica and stressed the importance of the Muuga freight terminal in the Rail Baltica value chain. “The restoration of the Silk Road transit chain for north-south freight transit continues to be our vision of which Rail Baltica is an important component. Finnish cargo is looking for alternative transport channels right now.” said Sillave.
Raivo Vare underlined the important role of Rail Baltica in today’s turbulent security environment. “Rail will remain an important player in the competitive environment for freight transport for a long time to come, all the more so if we consider the implications of the European Green Deal. In addition, Rail Baltica has become a very strategic infrastructure facility in the current security context,” Vare added.
Andres Metsoja, member of the Estonian parliament and chairman of the Riigikogu’s Rail Baltica Support Group stressed that cooperation between the business sector and the public sector in this project is increasingly important.
TRINITI was one of the founding members of RBBN in Estonia and partner Tõnis Tamme also serves on the board of the business network. RBBN was established already in 2015 to give Estonian businesses a better opportunity to have a say in issues related to the new railway and to involve the business community in the development of Rail Baltica and the mapping of related business opportunities at an early stage. The business network currently includes 29 companies and organisations as its members www.rbbn.ee.
