Construction agreement for the initial section of the Rail Baltica mainline in Estonia signed

  • 2024-01-08

Rail Baltica construction works in Estonia reached a new milestone on Friday as Rail Baltic Estonia signed a contract with joint bidders AS TREV-2 Grupp and AllSpark OÜ for the construction of the first section of the high-speed railway's mainline in Estonia.

"Today will undoubtedly be recorded in Rail Baltica history as one of the most significant days because, with the signatures given today, we have finally reached the point that marks the beginning of the mainline construction. Additionally, we have already announced the remaining mainline construction tenders for the Harju County area," said Anvar Salomets, the Chief Executive Officer of Rail Baltic Estonia, the national implementor of Rail Baltica in Estonia. 

According to the head of Rail Baltic Estonia, in the context of constructing the mainline, this is just the beginning of a longer journey. However, with the realization of the upcoming construction tenders announced at the end of last year, construction can begin on more than a third of Rail Baltica's high-speed mainline in Estonia.

Sven Pertens, the Chief Executive Officer of TREV-2 Grupp, the company responsible for constructing the first section of the mainline, emphasized the significance of Rail Baltica for Estonia's infrastructure construction companies.

"Rail Baltic Estonia will be the main client in the field of Estonian infrastructure construction in the coming years, replacing the position previously held by the Transport Administration. TREV-2 Grupp has already built several Rail Baltica facilities in Harju and Rapla counties in recent years. As the CEO of the company, I am very pleased that TREV-2 Grupp is signing the first Rail Baltica mainline construction contract in Estonia, and we also believe that it will not be the only one," Pertens said.

The construction section, starting from the east side of Ülemiste station, is 4.8 km long and extends to the intersection with Lagedi Road in Soodevahes, Rae Parish. The construction section also includes the partial construction of the embankment for the Ülemiste station rail yard and the partial construction of the railway section of a prospective car loading station.

The width of the constructed mainline embankment in this section is 14 to 20 meters, and construction work is scheduled to begin this spring. Along with the railway embankment, necessary drainage, cable ducts, land reclamation systems, retaining walls, and the relocation of various utility networks will be established. Additionally, a culvert will be built in this section of the railway embankment to ensure the passage of small animals.

The contract amount is 34,176,386 euros, with 85% of the funding provided by the European Union's Connecting Europe Facility. Construction work is expected to commence this spring, with the completion of the construction section scheduled for mid-2027, according to the terms of the contract.

About Rail Baltica 

Rail Baltica is one of Europe's largest high-speed infrastructure projects, aiming to establish a modern and sustainable rail link that connects the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with the European rail network. It is also a part of the trans-European transport corridor.

Rail Baltica will be a fully electrified, double-track railway with a standard gauge of 1435 mm and will be equipped with ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) and designed to meet European standards. With a design speed of 249 km/h, Rail Baltica will significantly reduce travel times between the Baltic States and major European cities. It will serve as a modern infrastructure for passenger, freight, and military mobility, promoting accessibility and facilitating business, tourism, and cultural exchange. Additionally, the project will enhance the Baltic region's position as a vital transit hub, fostering stronger trade connections and promoting regional cooperation.

About RB Rail AS 

RB Rail AS is a multinational joint venture of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania established to lead and coordinate the implementation of the Rail Baltica Global Project, the first infrastructure development project of this scale in the Baltic region. More about Rail Baltica global project: www.railbaltica.org