Rail Baltica Project: A Summary
here’s a summary of the key information from the provided text about the Rail Baltica project:
Project Overview:
* Goal: To create a European standard (1435mm gauge) railway line connecting Tallinn (Estonia) to the Lithuanian-Polish border, integrating the Baltic States into the wider European railway network.
* Length: 870 kilometers, with a maximum speed of 240 km/h.
* Current Status: The project is active in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, focusing on railway substructures, international stations, bridges, and level crossings.
Progress by Country (as of the text):
* Estonia: Over 100km of railway substructures, including the Ilemiste terminal, are under construction.
* Latvia: Priority is on the southern stage (near Iecava), the Riga central node, and the area around Riga Airport. Electrification contract signed with “Cobelec Rail Baltica”.
* Lithuania: Construction ongoing in the Kaunas-Paneva section (77km completed,aiming for 114km by end of 2025,including a new bridge over the Neres River).
Key Milestones & targets:
* 43% of the railway line is expected to be active by the end of 2025.
* Electrification: A contract has been signed for the electrification of the entire line (Tallinn to Lithuanian-Polish border, including Kaunas to vilnius). This will include overhead contact networks, high-voltage substations (using SFC technology), and a control center.
* Electrification Stages: Planned in two stages – first until 2030, second until 2040, contingent on funding.
cost & Funding:
* Estimated Total Cost (Baltics): EUR 14.3 billion (potential savings of up to €500 million).
* Estimated Total Cost (including benefits analysis): EUR 23.8 billion (considerably higher than the 2017 estimate of EUR 5.8 billion).
* Funding Sources: European Infrastructure Connecting instrument (CEF), public co-financing, and other sources.
* Latvia’s Share: EUR 5.5 billion.
Key Features & Technologies:
* Modern Technologies: System engineering, construction information modeling, geospatial information systems, and SFC technology for power supply.
* Sustainability: Focus on energy efficiency, life cycle costs, and environmental protection.
Duty:
* RB Rail: Design and construction contractor for the electrification subsystem.
* EDZL: Responsible for performance of the Rail Baltica energy subsystem design and construction contract in Latvia.
