Rail Baltica Estonia has launched a tender for a 7.1km stretch of track between the villages of Hagudi and Loone in the north of the country.

The scope of work includes the construction of two wildlife crossings, one road viaduct, two railway viaducts, 5km of noise barriers and a 224m-long railway bridge.

The line will intersect with the existing infrastructure of Estonian state rail company, Edelaraudtee.

Anvar Salomets, Rail Baltica Estonia’s chief executive, said: “Within the past six months we have announced construction tenders for the Rail Baltica mainline covering a distance of 21km, and it is likely that we will add a similar volume to the tender registry within this year.”

Two projects have already been tendered in Estonia, a 9.4km and a 4.8km link. When complete, the 870km Rail Baltica will have 13 stops in Estonia, as well as an international terminal in the city of Pärnu. Work on this latest section will begin early next year.

In 2020, it was reported that Rail Baltica was due to be €2bn over budget and four years behind schedule.