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VILNIUS, May 26, BNS - A project for building Rail Baltica's section from the Polish border to Marijampole, in southern Lithuania, is to be implemented within 18 to 20 months. Pavel Telicka, the European Commission's coordinator for Rail Baltica, said after meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius in Vilnius on Tuesday that the implementation time of the first phase of the high-speed, European-gauge railway should decrease from 32 months to 18-20 months.

Telicka said that Lithuanian transport minister had assured him that despite delays in completing public procurement procedures, the project would be implemented by 2013 or 2014. "I came to Lithuania to see if the country will really be able to carry out what has been agreed and approved, and I can assure you that during the meetings I was given concrete assurances that this will be implemented. When a heavy burden falls on public finances, this is a great assurance," he told reporters. The project coordinator said that Lithuania was making a progress and was on the right path. Kubilius said that he expected the first phase of the Rail Baltica project to be completed by 2013. Construction on the 40-kilometer section of the European gauge (1435 mm) railway line from the Lithuanian-Polish border to Marijampole is planned to begin in 2010. All railways in Lithuania are now Russian-gauge (1520 mm). The European Commission is to allocate 124 million euros for the first phase of the international project, of which 90 million euros should go to Lithuania.