The construction of Rail Baltica mainline in Latvia has been launched with an official ceremony held in Riga on May 21, 2024, attended by Rail Baltica team, representatives from the European Commission and international partners from France, Italy, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia.
The participants marked the occasion by sending messages to future generations through a time capsule to be embedded at the construction site.
“The significance of the Rail Baltica project in ensuring a fast and reliable connection for the Baltic region with Western Europe is particularly high in the current geopolitical conditions. The delivery of our shared ambition is to ensure a cross-border connection during the first phase of the Rail Baltica project by 2030, including the integration of Riga. Thus, the construction of the mainline is a top priority,” the Minister of Transport of Latvia Kaspars Briškens said.
The joint venture ERB Rail JV, employed by the Rail Baltica national implementing body in Latvia – Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas will oversee the construction of the line. This international consortium, registered in Latvia, is composed of Eiffage Génie Civil (France), Budimex (Poland), and Rizzani de Eccher (Italy).
The construction will proceed in sections, beginning with the first set of works in the Bauska region near Iecava, where the future Rail Baltica infrastructure maintenance facility will be located. The maintenance centre will cover an area of approximately 16.5 hectares. These infrastructure maintenance points will serve as logistic bases during the construction of the Rail Baltica mainline, facilitating the construction of connections to the existing 1520 mm track network and maximising the use of the railway for transporting construction materials and machinery.
“Rail Baltica brings us a step closer to the ‘Europe of trains’ mentioned by French President Emmanuel Macron, that we are building, for a concrete, powerful, sustainable, and united Europe. It is an honour for France to be able to showcase the knowledge and expertise of its industrial champions in the rail sector, together with Latvian and European partners,” the Minister of Foreign Trade of France Franck Riester, said.
Rail Baltica mainline in Latvia is approximately 230 km and includes 175 engineering structures, 11 animal crossings, 42 viaducts, 81 road bridges, and 32 rail bridges.
“Latvia starts mainline construction with considerable experience under the belt – we build on the experience of construction in RIX Riga Airport and Riga Central Hub sections, and have a calibre of partners – Contractor, Engineer – to tackle this next project phase with confidence,” Chairman of the Management Board of Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas Ēriks Diļevs, said.
This year, 150 km of Rail Baltica corridor will be under construction and “the success of the next phases will hinge on the collaboration between the various project partners and contractors involved,” says the interim Chairperson of the Management Board of RB Rail AS Marko Kivila.
The construction works for the Rail Baltica mainline will encompass railway substructures, embankments, road crossings, and railway superstructures, including tracks and other related infrastructure. This Red FIDIC contract estimates the total cost at approximately EUR 3.7 billion. The specific cost scheme for each section will be determined after the Design Review Phase, which will be conducted by the contractor ERB Rail JV. The client, Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas, along with the construction engineer Italferr, will manage the contract, supervise the works and associated costs. The Ministry of Transport will oversee the overall execution of the contract.
“We need Rail Baltica for economic development and to bring the Baltic countries closer to Europe. Rail Baltica has strong support from the European Commission, especially since the war, as its importance has increased even more,” European Coordinator for the North Sea-Baltic TEN-T Corridor Catherine Trautmann said.
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