Rail Baltica & EU Defence: High-Speed Rail’s Role in Europe

Introduction

On November 11, Rail Baltica participated in a high-level round table to discuss the role of cross-border rail projects in enhancing defense logistics, resilience, and connectivity across Europe.

Main Content

Round Table Overview

The round table, titled “The Role of Railways in a New European Defence Policy,” convened representatives from European organizations, defense ministries, and the transportation industry. The event aimed to explore how railways can support Europe’s security and defense objectives.

Key Speakers

Speakers included Lieutenant General Luis Lanchares of NATO, Herald Ruijters, Deputy Director General for Defence, Industry, and Space at the European Commission, and Julio Gómez-Pomar, President of the IE Center for Transport Economics & Infrastructure Management.

Rail Baltica’s Contribution

Marius Narmontas, Chief Operations Officer and Management Board Member of RB Rail AS, represented Rail Baltica in the panel discussion on “Railways and Transportation for Defence.” He discussed how the project’s architecture facilitates dual-use infrastructure, supporting both military and civilian logistics needs.

Additional Participants and Discussion Highlights

Other participants included Colonel José A. Chamorro of the Spanish Army’s Engineer Specialties Regiment, Enno Wiebe, Director General of UNIFE, and María Corral Escribano from the Spanish Ministry of Transport. The discussion underscored the importance of coordinating defense and transportation planning and highlighted the role of initiatives like Rail Baltica in improving resilience, connectivity, and operational efficiency within the European Union.

Conclusion

The round table focused on the contribution of railways to European defense, with Rail Baltica emphasizing its dual-use infrastructure capabilities. The discussions highlighted the need for coordinated planning and the benefits of cross-border rail projects for enhancing defense logistics and overall operational efficiency.

Company Summary

Rail Baltica: A project focused on developing a high-speed railway line connecting the Baltic states with the rest of Europe.

RB Rail AS: The joint venture of the Baltic states, established to implement the Rail Baltica project.

UNIFE: The European rail industry association.