Lithuanian president calls for renewed debate on Vilnius metro

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda is calling for renewed discussions on building a metro system in Vilnius, with a fresh cost-benefit analysis examining whether the project could also serve national security needs.

“It would make sense to update the cost-benefit analysis now and assess the project in a new geopolitical context,” Vaidas Augustinavičius, the president’s chief adviser on economic and social policy, told the radio Žinių radijas on Tuesday.

Augustinavičius said it was worth considering whether the metro could qualify as a dual-purpose project, serving not only public transportation but also national security.

Underground infrastructure could provide shelter and potentially accommodate communications networks, he said.

The presidential adviser also suggested examining whether part of the project could be financed through the European Union’s new Competitiveness Fund.

Discussions about the need for a metro in Vilnius have been underway for more than a decade.

Supporters argue that the project would attract millions of euros in investment and help ease traffic congestion in the capital. Critics counter that Vilnius does not have a big enough population to make the construction economically viable and warn that the project could damage the city’s cultural heritage.

In autumn 2018, Lithuania’s parliament, Seimas, adopted a law on metro implementation, creating conditions for private investors to undertake construction. The legislation took effect in early 2020.