Economy & Politics: Rail Baltica – Detail design work for Rail Baltica in Latvia is now starting

Last Updated on 2020-04-06 by Birk Karsten Ecke

RB Rail which is responsible for the project management of the new train network Rail Baltica has signed two contracts covering the detail design phase as well as the monitoring phase. The Rail Baltica is the largest infrastructure project of the three Baltic States Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The high speed train network will connect Tallin (Estonia) and Warsaw (Poland) via Rīga (Latvia) and Kaunas (Lithuania). The project delay has been around 3 years so far. One contract covers the route between Valka on the Latvian-Estonian border to Vangaži and the other from Misa to the Latvian-Lithuanian border south of Bauska.

The contract for the first section of the railway project from the Latvian-Estonian border to Vangaži was won by a joint venture between Ineco and Ardanuy. The cost of this is around EUR 13.5 million. Idom Consulting, Engineering, Architecture will carry out the second section of the Misa railway line to the Latvian-Lithuanian border. The price for this section of the route is approximately EUR 6.9 million. Both contract winners were selected according to the most economical offer criterion.

The signing of the contracts means that detailed planning of the Rail Baltica railway line has finally begun in all three Baltic States. The selected contractors are responsible for field studies, engineering solutions and road traffic control during construction. The contractors are large engineering and consulting companies that have been on the market for a long time and have a corresponding reputation. Idom is also involved in the planning of two sections of the route in Estonia.