Pressemitteilung: Rail Baltica shows why sustainable railway infrastructure starts long before the first train runs / Electrification is a key part of Europe’s transition towards a more sustainable transport system. Yet the sustainability of railway infrastructure goes beyond the energy that powers trains. It also raises important questions about how infrastructure is designed and built, the materials and resources it requires, its environmental footprint, and how energy needs will be met in the future. This was the central message shared by Iveta Jēgere, Head of Sustainability, Health and Safety Department at RB Rail AS, during her presentation “Developing Sustainable Infrastructure: The Rail Baltica Experience” at the Vilnius GreenTech Forum on 11 November. The event brought together around 600 industry experts, business and policy leaders to discuss European electrification, energy security, infrastructure resilience and the green transition. “Europe’s transition towards electrified transport creates significant opportunities, but also new challenges. We need to consider not only where the electricity will come from and how future energy demand will be met, but also the wider environmental impacts of developing new infrastructure. For a project of Rail Baltica’s scale, this means looking beyond carbon emissions and material use to consider impacts on biodiversity, water resources, surrounding communities and ecosystems. The challenge is to make informed choices, balance different considerations and progressively improve how we deliver infrastructure” said Iveta Jēgere. (....)