There will be a total of twelve local stops on the Estonian section of Rail Baltica. One such stop is Häädemeeste in Pärnu County.

"On the one hand, it is very good that this stop will be located in the territory of Häädemeeste Municipality, so that it will at least be possible to get on and off here. However, considering its location, it is a bit in the middle of the forest, where unfortunately there are no people and accessibility is not the easiest," said Mayor of Häädemeeste Ain Järvesaar.

The stop is located approximately 15 kilometers from the town of Häädemeeste itself.

"There is quite a lot of land there, and current development plans do not yet provide for any light traffic routes or access," said Järvesaar.

Local governments had a say in determining the locations of the Rail Baltica stops, and once the stations are completed, they will be handed over to them. Regardless of how far away the stop is, it is the local government's responsibility to make sure connections are up and running.

"Whether connections to existing settlements are planned, other functions are planned nearby, whether there will be residential development or jobs created, that is largely in the hands of local communities," said Rauno Lee, senior project manager at Rail Baltic Estonia.

According to Lee, it is not possible for the high-speed train to pass through every small settlement, as that would mean a need to reduce its speed and have a greater impact on the settlements themselves. He pointed out that the area around the Kohila stop is already developing very well, as is the Kaisma stop in Pärnu County.

"We have initiated a detailed planning procedure for the construction of a row of houses. Based on this plan, 20 families could get a new place to live near the Rail Baltica station in future," said Madis Koit, Mayor of Põhja-Pärnumaa Municipality.

Lee pointed out that Estonia's national spatial plan for 2050 states that the backbone of the country's development is the railway.

"Historically, it is a fact that wherever the railways, local stations and stops have been built, development follows, so I urge local communities to think openly and make the most of their local stops," said Lee, adding that Häädemeeste Municipality should not be concerned that their stop is currently in the middle of the forest, as developments will reach those parts too.

According to Lee, construction work on the first local stops is likely to begin later this year.

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