Kozlovskis promises firmer Rail Baltica cost estimates; updated forecasts due in September
Latvia's Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis says updated Rail Baltica cost estimates will be published in September, offering much greater clarity on the sums involved, though not absolute precision.
Updated cost estimates for the Rail Baltica railway project are expected to be made public in September, Transport Minister Rihards Kozlovskis (JV) said on the programme “Spried ar Delfi”. The minister said the new projections would not be 100 percent accurate, but they should bring a much clearer understanding of the actual sums involved. He emphasised that the aim is to have a very high level of clarity about the amounts being discussed.
Kozlovskis admitted that the commitments made earlier were based on a preliminary understanding that later turned out to be different from the real costs. He said that once the project moved to actual procurement, the figures looked completely different from what had been assumed. “When it came to real procurements, we see that they are completely two different things,” he explained.
The minister did not give concrete numbers, but he said the updated forecasts would allow for more specific discussions about funding. He also said full precision is not realistic, but the upcoming estimates should still reduce uncertainty. The new cost projections are scheduled for September and could play a key role in decisions about the future of the railway line, as well as in how the necessary financing is secured.
