Estonian Railways chief: knowledge gap is the real future risk for Estonia's rail sector

Merle Kurvits, chair of Estonian Railways, warns that the greatest threat facing Estonia's rail sector is not construction delays but a lack of future expertise. She argues that building competence for tomorrow is just as critical as laying tracks today.

The biggest long-term threat to Estonia's railway sector is not delays in construction projects, but a growing gap in future-oriented knowledge and skills — so says [Merle Kurvits](/politicians/merle-kurvits), chair of the board at Estonian Railways (Eesti Raudtee).

In her assessment, Kurvits draws attention to a challenge that often gets overshadowed by high-profile infrastructure debates: who will actually have the expertise to design, operate, and maintain the rail systems of tomorrow? As Estonia pushes forward with major rail investments — including the Rail Baltica project — the human capital dimension risks being overlooked.

## Competence as infrastructure

Kurvits frames professional knowledge as infrastructure in its own right. Just as physical rail lines require years of planning and investment, so too does building a pipeline of qualified specialists. Without deliberate effort to develop that expertise now, Estonia could find itself with modern tracks but a shortage of people capable of running them effectively.

The warning comes at a time when Rail Baltica, the ambitious high-speed rail link connecting the Baltic states with the rest of Europe, continues to dominate headlines. While funding arrangements, timelines, and governance have been the subject of intense scrutiny, Kurvits suggests the sector must also take stock of its longer-term workforce and knowledge needs.

## Preparing for tomorrow's rail challenges

Her call is essentially a plea for forward planning — investing in education, training, and institutional knowledge before the skills shortfall becomes a crisis. For a small country like Estonia, where the pool of rail specialists is inherently limited, building that competence proactively is not a luxury but a strategic necessity.