Builder officially instructed to start construction work on Rail Baltica mainline - EDzL

RIGA - Official instructions have been issued to builder E.R.B. Rail JV to start construction works on the Rail Baltica mainline, Eriks Dilevs, CEO at Eiropas Dzelzcela Linijas (EDzL), the implementer of the Rail Baltica project in Latvia, said in an interview with Latvian Radio on Tuesday.

"This is a very important moment for the Rail Baltica project and for Latvia, as we have officially instructed the builder to start construction work on the mainline," said Dilevs, adding that construction work will start in Iecava with setting up a regional office.

The EDzL CEO noted that funding is currently available for 40 kilometers of the mainline, and to finance the whole southbound section, the necessary funds will be requested in the next call for proposals, which is due on January 21, 2025.

According to Dilevs, 16 hectares of land have been deforested in Iecava, while a total of nine kilometers have been deforested on the main Rail Baltica line.

Dilevs also informed that a construction site will be set up in Iecava to store the mineral materials needed for the construction of the rail track. "The Iecava base will initially be set up as a construction materials stacking yard, from which bulk materials will be delivered," he explained.

The EDzL CEO said that 98 percent of the land needed for the southbound section will have been expropriated by the end of this year.

As reported, Rail Baltica national implementer in Latvia, Eiropas Dzelzcela Linijas (EDzL), and E.R.B. Rail JV PS have concluded a EUR 3.7 billion contract for the construction of the Rail Baltica mainline in Latvia.

The E.R.B. Rail JV PS consortium consists of Eiffage Genie Civil SAS (France), Budimex S.A. (Poland), and Rizzani de Eccher S.p.A (Italy). Each participant of the joint venture has experience in the construction of strategic infrastructure projects in Europe.

Preparatory work for the start of mainline construction in Latvia has been completed, including the availability of land, funding for the first phase of construction, design, and an internationally recognized and experienced construction supervisor and contractor.

According to the latest information from RB Rail, the cost of the first phase of Rail Baltica in the Baltics could total EUR 14.3 billion, of which EUR 5.5 billion would be the project's costs in Latvia, but up to EUR 400 million could potentially be saved from optimization of technical solutions, as well as other cost saving measures.

Rail Baltica is a double track, European standard 1,435 mm gauge electrified railway for passenger and freight transport to be built from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border. The overall length of the railway will be 870 kilometers.