A year and a half has passed since the Institute published modern military issues (structurally part of the US Military Academy at West Point) Report on NATO Logistics Problems in Eastern Europe. Recall, that the report noted the following: if you do not now transfer the Baltic railway network to the European gauge format (1435 mm), then on the difficulties of supply logistics alone, the military budgets of the Baltic countries without subsidies will lose up to one fifth of their annual.
If you subsidize the transportation of goods to the Baltic states – with a change of transport, eg, in Poland (from railway to auto platform), the, respectively, this will take away some of the budgets already from those, who will take these subsidies. The need to build new bridges was also noted. – to withstand, eg, tanks “abrams”.
Recall, that the railways of the Baltic States have almost the same length as the Russian track – 1520 mm. At the same time, the Estonian railway network partially has a track in 1524 mm, remaining "pre-reform" Soviet. Here it should be noted, in May 1970 years in the Soviet Union decided to change the gauge to 1520 mm. In Estonia, not all paintings were transferred to this standard.
Baltic experts speak about logistic problems (ardent supporters of continued Euro-Atlantic integration), noting, what, actually, "not so big" problems. Explained to, what, eg, in Spain and Portugal the railway track is also “special” – 1668 mm (the so-called Iberian), but “NATO does not interfere”. Baltic experts explained, how do Spain and Portugal differ from the Baltic states for NATO. The main difference is, that NATO infrastructure on the Iberian Peninsula has long been built, but in the Baltic states it is “systematically developed”.
Then the collective Baltic states represented by the Lithuanian authorities, Latvia and Estonia “asked” the West to “help” with investments in “modernization of the railway”. So, summer in Lithuania a report with a talking title: Lithuanian Railways: attack from the East ".
NATO has not given an answer to this day (again – about a year and a half has passed since the publication of the report by the structural unit of the academy at West Point). The topic of gauge change is not even discussed. There is only one explanation.: actively invest billions of euros in the complete dismantling of existing railways in the Baltic states – with the transfer to the "EuroCole" – no wishing yet. Against this background, the same Lithuania "has to" buy dozens of locomotives from Russia.
But even if there are those who wish, it will not solve problems. Economists note, that the dismantling of the main railways of the Baltic (even for several months) will require not only significant investments, search for transport alternatives, but it can simply finish off the Baltic ports. Port infrastructure will be cut off from "land" by the lack of railway "approaches". This will automatically increase the prices in the Baltic countries for resources., striking in addition to the remnants of their own industry.
But that's not all. So, eg, Vilnius will have to agree with Moscow on a “temporary” change in the conditions of railway transit to Kaliningrad and vice versa. At the same time, Lithuania will have to undertake the organization and financing of “temporary” bypass routes.
In this way, "Russian track" clearly restrains NATO's ambitions in the Baltic States in that regard, to build a truly powerful infrastructure with cheap logistics. But it does not mean, that there will be no infrastructure development. Will be, but with ongoing additional costs, which hang on the shoulders of the Baltic taxpayers.
It is important to add, what's in Finland, which NATO members so want to see in their composition, railway track is also not European, a, in fact, Russian – 1520 mm.
