Rail Baltic/a Poker

A classic card deck consisting of fifty two cards was put forward to make the fatigued format of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) more vivid and accessible for the public. Values assigned to constituents signify surprising combinations which might ensue during the planning and building of the railway across the state. Simplified operative images presented on the cards, in turn, convey the reciprocal relationship between flora, fauna, humans as well as modern transport technologies coexisting all along the projected timeline.

Joker: The new Rail Baltica railway may run adjacent to the near-surface radioactive waste repository "Radons" and despite extensive safety measures to be taken, its impact upon the storage elicits worries among the local population.
Aces: The Rail Baltica project advents an unprecedented degree of infrastructural integration among the three countries and considerably shortens the travel times between the largest cities in the region.
King: While the benefits for passenger commuters are stellar, the opportunities presented for cargo are believed to be the driving force behind the project.
Queen: In addition to higher train speeds, the shift from 1,532mm (the Russian gauge) to 1,435mm (the European gauge) train track warrants a symbolic integration into the European transport networks.
Jack: The "RB Rail AS", a unique three-state joint venture, has been established to manage the colossal task of procuring planning, construction, communication and business development of the Rail Baltica project.
10: Construction and operation of the track presents considerable risk to bird migration, feeding and nesting sites.
9: State of the art infrastructure for fauna envisages animal passages, underpasses and overpasses to enable a safer migration of wildlife across man made barriers.
8: Noise emission and acoustic pollution from construction and operation of railway traffic will have to be countered with rail noise abatement measures.
7: Drainage systems will have to protect water basins and wetlands from contamination as well as provide passages for amphibians and reptiles.
6: Complex negotiation, land acquisition as well as the resettlement of residents predates construction of the railway throughout the region.
5: Riga International Airport (RIX) will boast a high speed railway connection to the city of Riga.
4: The route of the track was adjusted several times to limit its impact upon Natura 2000, the network of protected areas including marshes, biotopes, wetlands and habitats.
3: Construction of the track posits a significant risk to local historical heritage and natural landscape.
2: While the train junction will only have four stops in the region, there are plans to adapt the network to spur the cargo traffic and local passenger transportation.

Text: Viesturs Celmiņš