Rail Baltica is one of the most complex projects in Europe. High-speed rail projects are always complex, but the 900+ km railway is over five times the length of HS2 (176 km). It is the largest project that has ever been delivered in the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania and has a highly complex governance structure involving four countries (as the connection is with Poland), most of the funding from the EU, and a diverse range of legal and contracting frameworks and cultures.
The project is also strategically important, bringing significant economic and military mobility benefits to the region.
To manage such a complex project, a consistent, clear, and straightforward governance structure and a project management approach based on the principles successfully applied to many high-speed rail projects are required. This common approach focuses on coordinating the team across many countries, with consistent organisational approaches, project performance management, and decision-making processes in what is inevitably a highly political project.
To this end, Rail Baltica has adopted common program management guidelines for the project’s delivery. Based on widely accepted practices from many high-speed rail projects, it set out a tried-and-tested organisational, governance, project control, and decision-making approach common in many railways.
After a competitive process, Parallel Project Training was delighted to be selected to develop and deliver a training course to underpin the adoption of this common approach across the project. The first workshop for key project management professionals from across all three countries took place in 2024 to strengthen the shared understanding of the best ways to deliver the project.
The workshop was highly practical and began by considering the challenges and lessons learned with similar projects worldwide, including the California High-Speed Railway, HS2, Crossrail, and others, and how they could be applied to the Rail Baltica project. It then considered applying the program management guidelines to a realistic case study project associated with the initiative.
The course received outstanding feedback, with participants praising the trainer’s expertise, engaging delivery, and use of real-world project management experience. The course was commended for its clear objectives, practical examples, and emphasis on teamwork. Attendees described the sessions as comprehensive, well-structured, and highly engaging.
