Baltica to kick off with Riga station

In 2014 state-company Eiropas Dzelzceļa was established to develop the Rail Baltica project in Latvia and it is to work closely with RB Estonia Igaunijā and RB Statyba Lietuva from Lithuania. The project is 85 pct subsidised by the EU through the CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) with the remainder being financed through state budgets.

The work on the station will also include the development of a new bridge over the Daugava river, and the demolition of a railway embankment from Dzirnavu street to Krasta street. A new junction at Elizabetes street and Timoteja street will relieve traffic on nearby roads.

“Rail Baltica is a European project; thus, we value the decision of Riga Central Station development to make Riga the centre of the project (…) by linking up parts of the city as well as the inhabitants, who were separated by a railway embankment,” said Edgars Tavars, parliamentary secretary for the Ministry of Transport.

“Today we are celebrating the fact that all of us – coming either from Latvia, or Europe – had a broader view. Not only in delivering the mandatory part of the competition – the ‘Rail Baltica’ element, but demonstrating a wider view as to how to develop this area comprehensively by linking both parts of the city, which were separated by a railway embankment, by making the station more open to the passengers, by allowing the station to fit into its urban environment, and by bringing all of this about by providing opportunities for further development,” said Agnis Driksna. the head of the development and cooperation department at Eiropas Dzelzceļa Līnijas, which is to build the European gauge railway.

Seven international companies and consortiums have declared their willingness to draw up the construction plans and are to enter the upcoming competition. A shortlist is to be drawn up by Dzelzceļa Līnijas and the selected companies will be invited to submit their offers for stage two.

Besides local companies, the partnerships demonstrate international competence both from Lithuania and Poland, and Turkey, Spain, Belgium, and Italy: Limak and Emreray joint venture; Basa: BMGS, A.C.B, Strabag, Aecom Baltics; consortium: Kauno Tiltai, Comsa, Trakcja PRKil, Geležinkelio Tiesimo Centras, Ceļu Būvniecības Sabiedrība Igate; consortium Acciona Mostostal Skonto Būve: Acciona Construccion, Mostostal Warszawa, Skonto Būve; consortium Besix Rere Group: Besix, Rere Būve; consortium Rail Baltica: Gulermak Agir Sanay Insaat ve Taahhut, Astaldi, LNK Industries, Ceļu Būves, Binders, Arčers; consortium Copisa – Basque – Upb – Tilts: UPB, Tilts, Copisa Constructora Pirenaica, Altuna y Uria, Cycasa, Lagunketa Sociedad Estudios y Servicios Para La Construcion.

The project costs were estimated at EUR 186 in 2015 with the feasibility study conducted by Aecom.

The length of the newly built track will come to 870 km of which 265 km will be in Latvia, 213 km in Estonia and 392 km in Lithuania. The average speed of the passenger trains will be 170 km/h and 68 km/h for cargo trains. The time taken between Tallinn and the Polish Lithuanian border will be 4.1 h for the passenger trains and 10.4 h for the cargo trains.

The total estimated construction cost of the project is around EUR 5.8 bln according to a cost-and benefit analysis prepared by EY. The entire new railway line should be laid in the Baltic states by the end of 2024 and the Tallinn – Riga – Kaunas line is to open n 2025 and connected to Warsaw by 2030.