According to European Coordinator Pavel Telička, despite the crisis the Rail Baltica project, which will connect the Baltic state capitals with a European-width railroad line for the first time, is on schedule for completion in 2013. Photo by Adam Mullett.

VILNIUS — Rail Baltica, the train line that will run from Helsinki to Warsaw through the Baltic states enabling train connections with western Europe, will be completed on time for 2013, a European Commission coordinator told journalists Monday.

“We are on track for completing Rail Baltica on time for a speed of 120 kilometers per hour,” European Coordinator Pavel Telička, who is in charge of the project said at the Asia-Europe Connect Transport Development Forum, held in Vilnius this Monday and Tuesday.

The rail line will be functional, but not fully operational because of economic constraints. Originally the line was planned for speeds up to 160 km per hour. The upgrades will continue later to bring the line to full functionality.

“We need to make adjustments. One involves Lithuania and we have proposed some ideas and how we can make it cheaper and keep it on time,” Telička said. “The second change we have to take into account is in Latvia. The advantage of Latvia is that the railway infrastructure there is the best of all the countries concerned, so we are talking about some modernization.”

“But with double digit economic decline, we need to give Latvia some breathing space, so Latvia will slow down and we will give an extension for the time for utilizing money,” he said adding that all the proposals had gained approval from European Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, who is responsible for transport in the EU.

Latvia will be given until the end of 2014 to complete the entire project. Estonia and Poland are on track for the deadline.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė confirmed that agreements had been made and that the rail line would go ahead.

“Today the agreement between the three Baltic countries was signed and Rail Baltica will be implemented in the cheapest way,” the president told journalists at the forum.

The Lithuanian transport and communication minister said the line will ensure a competitive market.

“By signing the declaration we assume the obligation to further develop active cooperation with the view to making Rail Baltica an important part of the European railway network and contributing to the development of a competitive railway network aimed at cargo transportation” Minister of Transport and Communications Eligijus Masiulis said in a press release.

Telička asserted that a competitive market was especially important.

“We want to see a liberal market so that people who establish themselves in one of the countries can compete,” Telička said.

Rail Baltica project is aimed at creating transport infrastructure that will enable connections with other EU member states through Poland.

The European Parliament and the Council of 2004 flagged Rail Baltica as one of 30 priority Trans-European Transport Network projects.

There had been fears earlier that the line would not be built in time and would be removed from the priority list of the EU.

“The project could have been removed from the list of priority projects, but I hope it won’t happen,” Grybauskaitė said before the signing of the documents.