Construction of 1st phase of Rail Baltica could be delayed by 3-5 years - EDzL CEO

RIGA - Construction of the first phase of the Rail Baltica transnational railway line could be delayed by three to five years, Maris Dzelme, CEO of the project's manager Eiropas Dzelzcela Linijas (EDzL), said in an interview with Latvian Television on Wednesday.

"I think we will be three to five years late," said Dzelme, adding that a more concrete forecast will be possible once it is clear how much funding will be available and when, for the first phase of the project.

He also said Rail Baltica's first phase will be redesigned for technical reasons and to reduce costs.

"In the first phase, we are not building the full extent, but only one track with shunting points along the whole route," he said, adding that the first phase of the main line will have one track, not two tracks as originally planned, as well as several stations.

According to Dzelme, the redesign could cost around EUR 8 million. He also stressed, however, that the cost is worth it, as the redesign is expected to save between EUR 100 million and EUR 200 million.

As LETA reported, EDzL is currently trying to reach an agreement with Idom, the Spanish developer of the construction project, to adapt and redesign the project. If an agreement with Idom is not reached, according to the EDzL CEO, a tender will have to be launched for the redesign of the construction project.

The Rail Baltica project will build a European standard gauge railway line from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border to connect the Baltic states with other European countries by rail. A new 870-kilometer European standard (1,435 mm) railway line with a maximum train speed of 240 kilometers per hour will be built in the Baltic states.

On Tuesday, January 27, a meeting of the Saeima Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee heard that the completion of the first phase of the Rail Baltica project will require between EUR 3 million and EUR 4 million in additional funding.

It was also reported that according to RB Rail, the cost of the first phase of the Rail Baltica project in the Baltics could reach EUR 14.3 billion, including EUR 5.5 billion in Latvia, but there is a potential to save up to EUR 500 million by optimizing technical solutions as well as cutting other costs.

The total cost of the project could reach EUR 23.8 billion in the Baltics, according to the cost-benefit analysis. A previous cost-benefit analysis in 2017 estimated the total cost of the project at EUR 5.8 billion.