Lithuanian Ministry of Transport, the Lithuanian branch of the joint venture of three Baltic states RB Rail AS and Ardanuy Ingenieria signed the contract on conduction of the upgrade feasibility study for the section “Polish/Lithuanian state border–Kaunas–RRT Palemonas”. According to the contract, the upgrade feasibility study will be completed in December 2017. Within the open tender, seven companies participated.
The purpose of this study is to analyze the feasibility and measures required to, upgrade the existing 1435 mm gauge railway line from the “Polish/Lithuanian state border–Kaunas–RRT Palemonas” to analyze the relevant options and providing the cost benefit analysis for the feasible optimum solutions on this section. The study will compare alternative technical solutions and alignment options on this section for reaching speed, capacity and other requirements meeting in full the Rail Baltica Global project definition, technical parameters and corresponding to the relevant TSI (Technical specifications for interoperability) as part of the North Sea-Baltic TEN-T core network corridor.
Lithuania has completed a new European standard gauge (1435mm) section between “Polish/Lithuanian state border–Kaunas” in 2015 and continues the development and construction of Kaunas node sections (Jiesia-Rokai, Rokai-Palemonas, and Palemonas-Kaunas). Its technical parameters differ from the ones set for the Rail Baltica Global project (fast conventional double track electrified, ERTMS equipped railway line with a design speed of 240 km/h), for example, current maximum design speed for the passenger travel is 120 km/h versus 240 km/h, single-track versus double-track, one-level crossings versus two-level crossings.
In June, the European Commission has announce that will offer a EUR 448 million co-financing for Rail Baltica. The sum is split in two projects – EUR 110 million for the joint project by consortium RB Rail, between Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and EUR 338 million for the Białystok – Elk line, on Poland’s territory.
The total length of the railway will be of 870 km, designed for freight and passenger traffic and interoperable with the TEN-T network. The value of the project is estimated at EUR 5.8 billion for all three Baltic countries, of which EUR 2.47 billion in Lithuania, EUR 1.97 billion in Latvia and EUR 1.35 billion in Estonia.
In April this year, the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) confirmed the financial and economic reliability of the project.
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