Analytics, Baltic, Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Railways, Transport

An estimated amount of 10% of train passengers would on a seasonal basis use a service of having their car loaded onto a train, the analysis conducted by the state-owned railway infrastructure company Estonian Railways and consulting company Skepast & Puhkim indicates.

The analysis estimates that one pair of car-carrying trains headed from Ulemiste to Central Europe would be required per 24 hours. Cars headed to Europe would be loaded onto the train in Ulemiste in the evening and the ones arriving from Europe would be unloaded in the morning. The need for a car-carrying train presents itself when passengers intend to spend an extended period of time in their destination, travel with a large amount of luggage, or the car drive by road is unreasonably slow.

"Each year, thousands of Estonian people go on a holiday to Europe by car, despite the fact that the highway to Warsaw is congested both with heavy goods vehicles as well as passenger cars and the drive from Tallinn to the Polish capital takes over 12 hours," Riia Sillave, CEO of Rail Baltic Estonia, said.

"If there is an option of loading your car onto a train in the evening, getting a good night's sleep in the compartment and waking up in Warsaw in the morning, all destinations for ski and sun holidays are much nearer. In addition, there will be no need to embark on a dangerous car drive or spend the night in a hotel," Sillave said.

The analysis compared various possible loading locations and determined that the optimal solution from the technical, economic and environmental aspect would be on the Suur-Sojamae Street near the soon-to-be Ulemiste passenger terminal. In the same procurement, a draft project of the loading station was also drawn up.

The feasibility and cost-benefit analysis was commissioned by means of procurement by Rail Baltic Estonia OU and conducted by Estonian Railways and Skepast & Puhkim OU, an Estonian consulting company in the field of infrastructure, spatial planning and environment. The cost of the analysis was 62,200 euros excluding VAT. 

Rail Baltic Estonia OU is a company in the area of government of the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, established to represent the interests of Estonia in the Baltic joint venture RB Rail AS and realization of the project and performance of administrative and technical functions in Estonia.

RB Rail AS is the central coordinator for the Rail Baltic project. RB Rail shareholders include the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian railway companies, UAB Rail Baltica Statyba, SIA Eiropas Dzelzcela Linijas and Rail Baltic Estonia OU.

Rail Baltic, estimated to cost around 5.8 bln euros in total, aims to building a direct standard gauge railway connection between the Baltic countries and the European railway network.