RB Rail submits new EU funding application for Rail Baltica railroad project

RIGA - Baltic joint venture RB Rail which coordinates work on Rail Baltica European-gauge railroad project has submitted a new funding application, responding to the 2016 Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Transport Calls for Proposals, making EU funding available for projects of common interest in the transport sector., BNS was told at RB Rail.

All three Baltic states and their joint venture RB Rail have already received CEF co-funding for a construction of Rail Baltica railroad under two previous co-funding agreements worth EUR 765 million in total. CEF funding is expected to cover up to 85 percent of the project's total costs, with the financial support reaching roughly EUR 633 million.

According to the new funding application the additional EU money is needed to continue construction works in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, complete the planning stage of all elements of the international project, identify the most cost-effective elements, materials and resources of infrastructure that can be purchased as part of consolidated procurement, carry out a comprehensive analysis of the supplier market to work out the optimal purchase strategy and prepare terms for a resolution on the manager of new infrastructure.

The funding is meant for conducting assessments and studies, developing a technical project, construction works, owner supervision, support and publicity activities.

The second agreement of the European infrastructure Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) on granting EUR 225 million to the Rail Baltica project was signed at the end of last year.

The agreement was signed on November 18 by European Commission's (EC) Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA), RB Rail, the Estonian Economics and Communications Ministry, the Latvian Transport Ministry, and the Lithuanian Transport and Communications Ministry. The sum granted for the project is EUR 225 million, and CEF will contribute EUR 191 million which is 85 percent of all attributable expenses.

According to the agreements on the EU co-financing to Rail Baltica project, CEF’s contribution to the project activities reaches a total of EUR 633 million, including EUR 186 million going to Estonia, EUR 238 million to Latvia, and EUR 203 million to Lithuania.

RB Rail is a joint venture established by the three Baltic states in October 2014. The Rail Baltica project seeks to re-establish a direct connection between the Baltic states and the European railway network.