The joint venture of the Rail Baltica project RB Rail AS, on behalf of the Ministry of Transport of Latvia, has concluded two contracts for the remaining two sections of the Rail Baltica main line in Latvia. It involves the design and design supervision of the line. It is the last step before actual construction on the line begins, which is planned for this Autumn.

The first section from Vangaži to the Latvian-Estonian state border is assigned to a company consortium INECO-ARDANUY. The contract amounts to 13,523,414 Euros. The second section of the line from Misa to the Latvian-Lithuanian state border is awarded to another company consortium IDOM, Consulting, Engineering, Architecture S.A.U. This contract has a value of 6,903,802 Euros.

Characteristics

The section from Vangaži to the Latvian-Estonian State border is the longest design section in Latvia – 94 km long and the design works will take 30 months. It includes particularly complex infrastructures such as the construction of 13 bridges, 36 road viaducts and 3 railway viaducts, among others.

The section from Misa to the Latvian-Lithuanian border is 45 km long and design works will take 24 months. According to the preliminary design – this section includes 4 bridges, 16 road viaducts, 4 railway viaducts, 54 culverts and 1 animal crossing.

Design phase

“With the signing of the two contracts, design activities are ongoing on the entire line of Rail Baltica in Latvia as well as in the two passenger terminals in Riga Central Station and airport” says Agnis Driksna, Chairperson of the Management Board of RB Rail AS. “By this, in total 643 km of Rail Baltica main line are being designed in all three Baltic States.”

“I am pleased that the implementation of the Rail Baltica project is continuing during this difficult period. It is important to increase the design speed so that construction works can be started in Latvia as soon as possible. The active construction phase of Rail Baltica, which will begin at Riga Central Station this autumn, will be one of the factors contributing to Latvia’s economic development and will help to recover from the effects of Covid-19”, emphasises Tālis Linkaits, Minister of Transport of the Republic of Latvia.