Finest Bay Area Development (FEBAY), the company behind the proposed Helsinki–Tallinn railway tunnel, has submitted a new planning application to the Estonian government.
The move marks a renewed effort to advance the cross-border project after years of regulatory and procedural delays.
The application seeks to launch Estonia’s National Designated Spatial Plan, the statutory framework for examining the tunnel’s proposed route, spatial requirements and environmental impacts.
The application is for the green light to start the statutory process rather than approval to construct the tunnel.
The company also expects the process to support closer co-ordination with Finland, where the project’s environmental impact assessment is under way.
The two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation over the railway tunnel in April 2021.
FEBAY’s previous attempts to progress the project in Estonia encountered legal and procedural obstacles, including court proceedings concerning the relationship between environmental assessments and national spatial planning. Estonia has since introduced reforms to streamline environmental assessment procedures.
“We have had to wait years to take this step, and we are pleased to be moving forward,” said FEBAY CEO Peter Vesterbacka. “Estonia has recognised the importance of clear, efficient procedures with predictable schedules and transparent decision-making for major investments.”
Alongside the planning process, FEBAY is working to strengthen the project’s financing structure through a recently announced partnership with Finna to establish the Finna Finest Infrastructure Fund. The initiative aims to attract European private capital for the project.
The proposed Finest Tunnel is a privately developed railway project to connect Helsinki and Tallinn through a passenger and freight link beneath the Gulf of Finland.
