Rail Baltica is an ongoing €5bn greenfield fully electrified railway infrastructure project to link Finland (via existing ferry links or a to be built undersea tunnel), Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with Poland and from there with the European standard gauge rail network. It is the largest Baltic-region infrastructure project in the past 100 years.
The route section running from the Ülemiste terminal to Kangru in Estonia is 15.8 km long, and the railway corridor runs there mainly between business and production areas, and between compact built-up areas. There are no large forest areas, agricultural areas or land units in the area, and there are no Natura 2000 areas within the influence area of the railway.
According to Rail Baltic Estonia’s environmental manager Roland Müür, all possible significant environmental impacts based on the conclusions of the environmental impact assessment are either avoided, mitigated to an insignificant degree or compensable. “When it comes to various measures, for example, to reduce railway noise, various noise barrier solutions will be built on the section for nearly three kilometers – wooden or metal noise barrier walls and earth embankments,” he said.
“To ensure the movement of fauna, one eco-duct is planned for the section, as well as an underpass suitable for big game, 16 culverts and tunnels for small animals. In addition, green strips will be built on the edge of three viaducts crossing the railway,” Müür added.
The environmental impact assessment report also sets important conditions for carrying out construction activities – to protect the bird population, the forest along the route will be cut down outside the birds’ breeding season, and if necessary, time restrictions will also be applied to construction activities.
In addition, the water level and quality of the wells that remain in the affected area during construction activities must be ensured, and construction materials must be transported and stored in a way that minimizes the spread of dust.
Considering the large number of environmental measures and the complexity of the project, Rail Baltic Estonia prepares a corresponding environmental management plan for the management of environmental measures for each section to be assessed. The environmental management plan shall include both the environmental measures made mandatory when the permit was issued, as well as the environmental measures set voluntarily by the developer.
The environmental management plan is updated regularly (either once a year or more frequently according to the important developments of the project) by adding or specifying measures according to changes in environmental information or the development of other improved knowledge.