Sea liner to link St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad

The authorities of Kaliningrad Oblast intend to launch passenger sea service between St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad. Governor Alexei Besprozvannykh said in an interview that this will become possible after the completion of the new passenger terminal in the town of Pionersky (in Kaliningrad Oblast). According to him, the implementation of the project will improve the transport accessibility of the region. The possibility of launching regular services is being discussed.

It is planned that a liner capable of carrying between 1,500 and 2,500 passengers will operate on the line. The travel time from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad will be from 24 to 30 hours. It is also expected that the vessel will be able to transport personal cars, which will be an important advantage for motorists. The liner is expected to be modern and comfortable.

Construction of the terminal in Pionersky has been underway since 2018. Initially, the facility was planned to be commissioned in 2023, but deadlines have been repeatedly postponed. The reasons for the postponements are not disclosed. According to data from the Federal State Institution «RosTransModernizatsiya» (Rostransmodernizatsiya, the federal agency for transport modernization), commissioning is scheduled for 2026. The terminal is being built as part of the development of port infrastructure in Kaliningrad Oblast. According to the public procurement portal, the cost of the state contract has increased over time and exceeds 8 billion rubles (approximately $88,888,900 at current exchange rates).

The governor also touched on the topic of rail service between the two cities. Currently, two trains operate daily on the route. It is impossible to increase their number due to the stance of the Lithuanian authorities, as the trains travel in transit through Lithuania. As Besprozvannykh noted, the Lithuanian side does not give consent for additional trains.