Rail Baltica is a reference railway project not only for Baltic States, but also for the European Union, the railway being considered part of the North Sea-Baltic TEN-T Core Network Corridor. For both EU and the Baltic region, the European-gauge line will provide direct connection between different gauge networks and between Tallinn – Riga – Kaunas – Vilnius – Warsaw metropolises to Berlin and implicitly to other Western Europe cities.
Rail Baltica project aims at creating a rail infrastructure link between Baltic and European states, networks confronted with interoperability problems mainly caused by different types of gauges. Indirectly, the route includes Finland, as it also incorporates the planned construction of a railway tunnel that will connect Tallinn and Helsinki (the Talsinkifix project). Under the study, the rail connection to Europe will be carried out through the link with Rail Baltica.
Rail Baltica Project is estimated at around EUR 4 billion of which EU would cover 85% of costs. The total line length will be of around 1,390 km of which 360 km in Lithuania, 300 km in Latvia, 300 km in Estonia and 430 km in Poland.
Last year, the transport ministers of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland signed the joint declaration on project implementation. One of the important steps in this project has been the submission of documents for European financing. In February 2016, RB Rail, the project core coordinator, submitted to INEA the project proposal for the allocation of a EUR 210.7 million financing through CEF. With national co-financing, the eligible cost of the proposed project is of around EUR 348 million. A significant part of the required funds is dedicated to the design, modernisation and construction of the railway from Latvia’s border to that of Poland in Lithuania, while financing for Estonia should provide connection between Ulemiste passenger terminal and the Port of Tallinn. Also, the project proposal covers part of the technical studies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. In June 2016, the European Commission approved a EUR 202 million financing for Rail Baltica, of which EUR 10.9 million is Estonia’s share.
Also, at the end of 2015, EC approved a financing of EUR 734 million, through CEF, for three railway projects in the Baltic region. The projects were selected within the CEF 2014 project proposals for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The three projects are part of Rail Baltica and include the construction and modernisation of the European-gauge line between Tallinn (Estonia) and Warsaw (Poland), crossing the cities of Riga (Latvia) and Kaunas (Lithuania). The first project is a cross-border one (between the three Baltic states) that received a financing of over EUR 442 million to develop several studies and works in Estonia, Latvia (Riga Region) and on the Kaunas-Panevezys-Lithuanian/Latvian border section in Lithuania. The second project concerns Lithuania which received EUR 105 million and involves the elaboration of a study and works to develop the line from the Polish border from Kaunas to the Latvian border. The third project received a EUR 186 million financing for Poland for the modernisation of 102 km of railway from Warsaw Rembertow to Sadowne and Czyzew. The deadline for all projects is 2020.
The three countries and the European Commission agreed on the ERTMS implementation at the same time with the development of construction works, financing being granted for the section between Lithuania’s border with Poland and Kaunas. This year, Lithuania finalised the first phase of Rail Baltica Project consisting of the construction of the European-gauge section at the Lithuania’s border with Poland and Kaunas. In July, announced it will receive a European grant of EUR 191 million for Rail Baltica, an amount allotted to the implementation of signalling, management and communications systems on the above-mentioned section. The European-gauge section from Kaunas (Palemonas) will be extended to north, an extension of 55 km. The project will also require the construction of bridges and viaducts. `
For Lithuania, Rail Baltica, next to other electrification projects, is the most important project of the programming period 2014-2020. “During the EU Financial Period 2014-2020, Rail Baltica and the electrification of lines part of IXB international corridor will be Lithuania’s largest investment projects,” Vice-Minister of Transport Arijandas Šliupas said. However, for the Polish section of the line, Lithuania is worried by the evolution of the project and asked the European Commission to contribute to drafting a development plan (on the Polish section). “As far as I know, Poland does not plan to introduce high-speed trains on Rail Baltica or other priority routes and I hope that Mrs. [Catherine] Trautmann, coordinator of the North Sea-Baltic TEN-T Corridor, and the European Commission’s officials this year will provide a clearly coordinated plan how to solve this issue,” Lithuania’s Transport Minister Rimantas Sinkevicius said during an international discussion on the implementation of Rail Baltica project in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, in February.
“I call upon the partners to combine efforts to decide on plans for the development of the 1,435-mm line together with Poland. We can’t create an isolated high-speed railway network in the Baltic countries if our gate to Europe – Poland – does not plan to develop a similar network,” the minister added.
However, in May, Polish infrastructure manager, PKP PLK, announced that construction works on Wołomin section were being implemented, as part of Rail Baltica. Works include the replacement of level crossings, the construction of tunnels and the reconstruction of Wołomin Station which was in the final phase of development.
The modernisation of E 75 Warsaw – Bialystok – state border (Rail Baltica) on Warsaw Rembertów – Zielonka – Tłuszcz includes 10 rail viaducts and 9 rail bridges, 3 road viaducts, 19 culverts, 60 engineering structures (replacement, repair or construction of new ones). The total cost of the Warsaw Rembertów – Zielonka – Tłuszcz project is PLN 2 billion (EUR 464.7 million).
Lithuania to start the second phase
Although the countries involved in the project have signed documents of joint implementation, coordination of financing and acquisitions, Lithuania completed the first phase of the project and announced that it would launch the tender for works in the second phase of Rail Baltica in the course of the year.
In September, during the meeting of RB Rail board, a JV of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, the representatives of the three Baltic countries agreed on a model of procurement and responsibilities on the implementation of Rail Baltica. The three parties agreed to divide all procurements into three groups: procurements organised only by the JV, the consolidation of the procurements implemented by the JV and the procurements carried out by national companies supervised by the JV. RB Rail will be the core manager of public procurements in the joint project, as well as of the marketing system and business research. According to Michael Cramer, chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism, if the Baltic countries will not reach joint agreements on project implementation, they risk losing EU financing for Rail Baltica. He also said he hadn’t understood Lithuania’s position of organising separate tenders instead of joint tenders.
“We should all understand that the bulk of the money is granted by the European Union, which has a clear principle of use it or lose it. If the Baltic states don’t use the money, it will go to Germany, Austria or France. Politicians of all countries should have a clear understanding of the situation. Yes, there are differences between Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, however, the project can only be implemented together. Poland’s participation is also crucial here. The Baltic states must work together. A final decision is necessary, and it is not in place yet. I know they are lacking a political decision, which should be made by the Ministry of Transport of Lithuania,” Cramer said during an interview with 15min.lt news portal.
Another problem of joint organisation of the three countries is naming the members of the RB Rail board for which they could launch a tender in October for the implication of professionals as members of the board. Although the countries decided to sign an agreement on the model of financing, implementation and procurements, Lithuania’s transport minister announced on 19 September that a new tender would be launched in November for development of Rail Baltica works, part of the second implementation phase of the project. Public procurement documents have already been elaborated and are coordinated by interested institutions.
“Upon receiving the approval of the board of JSC Lithuanian Railways, contract works have been started on the section Jiesia–Rokai of Rail Baltica. A call for bids to perform the construction of a European standard gauge railway of the section Rokai–Palemonas–Kaunas is scheduled in November. The documents of public procurement have been drafted and are being coordinated with responsible institutions,” said Vice-Minister of Transport and Communications Saulius Girdauskas.
EUR 88.27 million will be allocated for the works and technical maintenance contract and Rail Baltica activities will be 85% co-financed through CEF, the remainder 15% being allocated by Lithuanian Railways. According to the minister, at the beginning, works will be carried out on Kaunas–Palemonas section as part of the Rokai–Palemonas–Kaunas existing line, then Palemonas–Rokai line will be rebuilt. Works will be carried out in several phases: on Palemonas Station section, of Kaunas hydroelectric plant (HE) in Kaunas area and on Kaunas HE–Rokai section.
By launching this tender, Lithuania is the first country to implement phase two of Rail Baltica which includes the construction of the European-gauge railway from Kaunas to the borders with Lithuania and Latvia.
by Pamela Luica
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