Rail Baltic Estonia, the project’s national implementing body, has signed a design contract with the Estonian company AllSpark OÜ to connect the Port of Muuga to the future Rail Baltica line. The approximately 16-kilometre Soodevahe–Muuga section is planned for freight rail traffic and marks a significant step forward for Estonia’s railway and logistics sector. The value of the contract is nearly 2.9 million euros, excluding VAT.
According to Anvar Salomets, Chairman of the Management Board of Rail Baltic Estonia, the Muuga connection is unique within the entire project:
“Connecting the Muuga freight terminal to the Rail Baltica line is of strategic importance for Estonia. It is the only location in Estonia where a rail line built to the European standard will connect directly to a seaport, enabling the flow of international goods from the port straight to Europe.”
Valdo Kalm, Chairman of the Management Board of the Port of Tallinn, emphasizes the broader impact of the connection on Estonia’s trade:
“The Rail Baltica connection gives Estonian logistics a new dimension, making the Muuga port area a more competitive transport hub. Thanks to the Rail Baltica freight terminal, there is an opportunity to shape a freight corridor linking Northern and Southern Europe, offering new and more environmentally friendly options for cargo operators in both Estonia and Western Europe.”
The project includes the design of a 1,435 mm gauge railway. In addition to the new railway line, all infrastructure elements affected by the construction of Rail Baltica will be redesigned: the existing 1,520 mm gauge railway, intersecting roads, and utility networks. The line will also include service roads, noise barriers, culverts, and retaining walls. A Rail Baltica control centre and depot building will be designed in the Muuga freight terminal area.
Erki Kimber, Member of the Management Board of AllSpark OÜ, highlights the role of domestic engineering expertise in a major infrastructure project:
“We are extremely pleased that companies based on domestic capital also have the opportunity to contribute as main contractors to such a large and important project. This is the most extensive and longest section we have worked on so far within the Rail Baltica framework, which makes designing and managing project solutions a particularly exciting challenge. The Soodevahe–Muuga section is an excellent opportunity for Estonian engineers to demonstrate their competence and ingenuity in developing efficient and lasting solutions. The entire AllSpark team is extremely proud and excited to contribute to such a large-scale, forward-looking infrastructure project – and this will certainly help foster the next generation of young engineers.”
He added that since AllSpark is involved in both design and construction of infrastructure on a daily basis, the company is well positioned to provide added value both in terms of content and procedures.
The outcome of the design work will be a construction project with the necessary permits, enabling Rail Baltic Estonia to move forward into the construction phase. The final deadline of the contract is September 2027, but some projects will be completed earlier, allowing construction to begin in 2027. Construction works are expected to continue until 2030.