The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and RB Rail signed a CEF grant agreement for Rail Baltica projects. The contract was also signed by the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Transport of Latvia and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Lithuania.
The total budget of the agreement is EUR 19.7 million euros, of which the CEF contribution will be of a maximum amount of EUR 16.7 million representing 85% of total eligible costs under this agreement.
The remaining 15% will be financed by the governments of the Baltic States.
The grant agreement includes:
- The design of Kaunas railway infrastructure in station area (Phase I) in Lithuania and the design of the Kaunas infrastructure maintenance facility;
- The design modifications to enable Riga Node operational developments in Latvia;
- Modification of Riga Central Station railway section detailed technical design, based on the Rail Baltica operational plan in Latvia;
- Cekule site study, identification of unexploded ordinance (UXO) in former Cekule military area in Latvia;
- Pärnu County Planning in Estonia;
The financing has been also granted for joint Rail Baltica chainage and geodetic reference network development study across the Baltic countries and IT architecture development strategy.
From 2014, the Rail Baltica global project received European funding for seven projects totalling EUR 950 million. This grant agreement is the last one under the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework.
“The additional Connecting Europe Facility and Baltic states funding not only once again reconfirms the strong commitment of the EU and Baltic partners to this unique cross-border project, but will also enable to finalise the remaining planning stage works, accelerate the global project delivery by starting design procurements of missing links on the critical Kaunas – Lithuania/Poland border section as well as Kaunas – Vilnius, and facilitate start of mainline construction procurement in Latvia,” Agnis Driksna, Chairperson of the Management Board of Rail Baltica Joint Venture RB Rail AS said.
Under the 2014 – 2020 MFF, together with the newly signed agreement the three Baltic States and RB Rail AS have signed in total seven grants designed under the European Union funding instrument CEF for the construction of the Rail Baltica conventional railway infrastructure. Together with the previously signed grant agreements, Rail Baltica has thereby already secured around EUR 1.14 billion from the EU and national funds.
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