Union National Rail Administration

The Union National Rail Administration (UNRA) is a government agency responsible for owning and maintaining the Baltic Union railway network, including the track, stations, classification yards, traffic management and timetables. Safety oversight is the duty of the subordinate Union Railway Inspectorate, while numerous operating companies run trains on the lines. The administration operates all railway nets in Baltic Union, except tramways and urban railways (city-trains). Although not directly manages the network of city-trains, which are operated by municipalities or counties, UNRA is responsible for monitoring the security of these networks.

The Union main railway network consists of 30,125 kilometres of standard gauge lines, of which 12,214 kilometres is double track and 460 kilometres high-speed rail (>300 km/h) while 57% is electrified at the standard centroeuropean 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC.

Fuctions
The Union National Rail Administration is the national railway authority. It is responsible for the management of the national railway network, on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Communication. Through public funding and with a socio-economic perspective, the objetive is to operate, maintain and develop the national railway network. UNRA is responsible for:
 * Developing and operating a rail network that meets the requirements of society and the market
 * Railway stations and terminals
 * Timetabling
 * Traffic management
 * Regulation of the public rail network
 * Studies and planning in the rail sector

Track
The Union main railway network consists of 30,125 kilometres of standard gauge lines, of which 12,214 kilometres are Standard Union Double Track (180300 km/h). The entire main network is 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (standard gauge), as are the city-trains in the most important cities. Some heritage and industrial railways, though, operate with various kinds of narrow gauge.

While wooden sleepers are used on sidings and branch lines, concrete sleepers are the norm on all main lines; the common two-block concrete sleepers are now being phased out in favour of monoblock ones.

Electrification
General-purpose electric propulsion was adopted in the early days of the Union; the political decision to electrify the main lines was made in 2002. On the main lines that are equipped with them, the overhead lines carry 15 kV at 16 2/3 H, the standard centroeuropean. City-trains are usually powered by electric propulsion, but they use 750 or 1600 V DC. UNRA has made a huge investment in electrify the main lines, specially in the Eastern Baltic Provences where electrification was almost inexistent.

Safety and signalling
In order to replace the different and ageing signal systems, in 2007 it has been decided to replace all signal systems on UNRA's active network with ERTMS level 2, relying entirely on cab signalling; general rollout is scheduled for 2008–2012. The city-train network is set to be refitted with a suitable urban rail system, possibly a CBTC system allowing driverless trains, by 2012.

The railway before the Union
Before the Union, there were large differences between railways of different countries. While the scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway and Denmark) had well developed and maintained railways, the baltic republics (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) had a poor maintained and aged railway system inherited from the communist age.

Standard gauge was the main gauge of scandinavian countries while russian gauge was used in the Baltics and there were many differences in the electrification of the lines too.

Main operators were state-owned companies.

The Union railway system 2001-2010
From the outset, the Union government understood that it was necessary to get a great effort to unify and improve the railway network. The new phase of economic and social expansion needed a fast, safe and effective way for transporting passengers and freight.

During the period 2001-2011 the government has decided to invest huge amounts of money in the standardization and improvement of railway lines, especially in the Eastern Baltic Provinces. During this period UNRA has deployed thousands of km of double track that allows speeds up to 260 km/h. It is called Standard Union Double Track.

Mayor network improvements

 * Province of Sweden. Conversion to Standard Union Double Track (180<v<260)
 * Line Ovansjö-Ramsjö-Ljusdal-Bollnäs
 * Line Bollnäs-Kilafors-Holmsveden-Mo Grindar-Ockelbo-Gävle
 * Line Furum-Skutskär (New bridge)
 * Line Bräcke-Langsele-Hellansel-Vännäs-Umea
 * Line Hässleholm-Kristianstad-Karlskrona
 * Line Karlskrona-Emmaboda-Kalmar
 * Line Gotheborg-Bohus-Alvangen-Atotien-Grafnass-Lilla Edet-Trollhätan-Öxnered-Skälebal
 * Province of Norway. Conversion to Standard Union Double Track (180<v<260)
 * Line Moss-Fredrikstad-Sarspborg-Skälebal
 * Line Eidsvoll-Hamar-Lillehammer
 * Line Oslo-Sandvika-Hornefoss-Myrdal-Bergen
 * Line Oslo-Drammen-Hokksund-Kongsberg-Hjuksevo-Nordagutu
 * Province of Denmark. Voltage adjustment of the existing electrified network at the standard centroeuropean 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC
 * Province of Denmark. Conversion to Standard Union Double Track (180<v<260)
 * Line Fredericia-Vejle-Skanderberg-Arhus-Randers-Fanup-Alborg
 * Line Fredericia-Lunderskov-Bramming-Esbjerg
 * Line Lunderskov-Vojens-Rodekro-Frensburg (Germany)
 * Eastern Baltic Provinces. Voltage adjustment of the existing electrified network at the standard centroeuropean 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC
 * Eastern Baltic Provinces. Conversion to Standard Union Double Track (180<v<260)
 * Line Vilnius-Kaysadoris-Kaunas-Nesterov
 * Line Kaysadoris-Jonava-Siavlaj-Sarkiai-Jelgova-Riga
 * Line Riga-Aizkraukle
 * Line Riga-Cesis-Valga
 * Line Tallin-Keila
 * Line Tallin-Lagedi-Aeguidu-Tapa

Companies
At the beginning of the period, there were state-owned companies in Sweden and Norway who controlled almost all passenger traffic. Private freight operators existed at that time. With the incorporation of the Baltic republics and later Denmark, new state companies joined the group of railway operators.

With the aim of introducing competition in rail traffic, and once all the railway infrastructure became controlled by UNRA, the government decided to privatize the former state companies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark SJ Railways, NSB Railways and DSB Railways while maintaining percentages close to 30% of the shares. During this period some new passenger train operators have come and also has established an extensive network of private freight railroad.

Contrary to what has been done in the rest of the Union, the solution adopted by the government for the railroads in the Eastern Baltic Provinces was to unite all existing state-owned companies in a large company capable of taking the necessary modernization. It was the born of Baltic Railways, that is at the end of 2010 the only 100% state owned railway company in Baltic Union. In regard to rail freight in the Eastern Baltic Provinces, private operators appeared parallel with economic development.