LITHUANIAN infrastructure manager LTG Infra has signed three contacts worth a total of €235m, covering civil works and tracklaying on the 870km Rail Baltica standard-gauge line that will connect the Baltic States with wider European network via Poland.

Civil works on the 18.9km section from Kaunas (Palemonas) to Šveicarija, running on an embankment, have been divided into two contracts due to their complexity, according to LTG Infra.

The first contract, covering 8.5km of embankment and structures, has been awarded to HISK for €97.8m and work is due to be completed by the first quarter of 2028. The same timescale applies to the second contract covering the remaining 10.4km, awarded to Fegda and Tilsta for €123.5m.

In July HISK signed a separate contract for the 12.1km embankment section between Šėta and Ramygala. Fegda has now won three Rail Baltica civil works contracts, having completed the Šveicarija - Žeimiai section and started work on the 10km from Kaunas to Šveicarija.

“This continuity enables us to build on the experience we have already gained, says Fegda CEO, Jonas Jablonskis.

Tracklaying

Tracklaying on the 10km Šveicarija - Žeimiai section will be undertaken by a joint venture of Leonhard Weiss International of Germany and Leonhard Weiss OÜ of Estonia, which has signed a contract worth €13.9m.

LTG Infra says that 8.8km is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, and to ensure this timescale is met it has already procured tracklaying materials including ballast, sleepers and rail. The remaining work is due for completion in the first quarter of 2027.

“Effective supply chain management and the advance delivery of construction materials have helped to mitigate risks related to shortages and logistics,” says LTG CEO, Egidijus Lazauskas.

In total, contracts have now been signed for construction of 77km of the 392km of Rail Baltica infrastructure in Lithuania. With work funded by the European Union (EU) and the Lithuanian government, LTG Infra says that contracts will be signed and preparatory work will begin on 114km by the end of this year.

Design supervision

Separately, LTG Infra and RB Rail, the Rail Baltica project delivery company, have signed a €38.3m contract with DB Engineering & Consulting which will provide design and design supervision services for the 96km section from the Polish border to Marijampolė and Jiesia near Kaunas in Lithuania.

With active development underway across Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, RB Rail say that 43% of the Rail Baltica main line “is expected to be construction-ready and progressing” by the end of this year.

“Every metre of European standard-gauge track we lay is a step forward into Lithuania’s future,” says Lithuania's acting minister of transport and communications, Eugenijus Sabutis.

“We are building a strong connection with Europe, one that will boost our economy, enhance security, and unlock new opportunities for the entire region.”

For detailed data on European rail projects, subscribe to IRJ Pro.