News

The contracting authority, joint venture RB RAIL AS, announces the winner of the competitive procedure with negotiation on long-term Business plan development for the Rail Baltica Global project that is subject of provision of long-term strategy for the implementation phase and the business model of the operational phase. According to the decision made based on the most economically advantageous offer, the Procurement commission awarded the contract to “DB Engineering & Consulting GmbH”. The contract amounting to 359 850,00 EUR, excluding VAT (including expected travel expenses and daily allowance expenses) was signed on January 8th, 2018.

Representatives of RB RAIL AS, the central coordinator of the Rail Baltica project in the three Baltic States, met with the Lithuanian business community in order to hear their expectations and discuss the benefits of Rail Baltica. Executives form Girteka, Balti Logistika and Lithuanian Industrialists Confederation attended the meeting.

From December 15th, Rail Baltic Estonia OÜ, a holding company in charge of the Rail Baltica project in Estonia, will be managed by Riia Sillave.

Representatives of Kreiss, one of the biggest European freight carrier, and Latvijas Finieris, manufacturer and one of the biggest Latvian exporter, met with the management of RB RAIL, the central coordinator of the Rail Baltica project in the three Baltic States, to discuss how Rail Baltica infrastructure will affect their businesses. Both parties agreed that the new railway connection could favourably impact supply chains and transportation services under the precondition that synergy is developed between different type of carriers and Rail Baltica, ensuring seamless and timely freight transportation.

On November 22, 2017, the Rail Baltica project implementers and national regulatory bodies – RB Rail AS, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication of Estonia, Rail Baltic Estonia OU, Estonian Technical Regulatory Authority, Latvian State Railway Technical Inspectorate, SIA Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas, Rail Baltica Statyba UAB, and Lietuvos Geležinekliai – met with SYSTRA S.A., a consulting and engineering group which previously in an open competition was awarded to develop unified design guidelines for the Rail Baltica project. The objective of the meeting was to discuss the progress of the Design Guidelines and to align on the next steps as Rail Baltica’s implementation has entered the Design phase.

Representatives of several Estonian businesses met today with the management of RB RAIL AS, the central coordinator of the Rail Baltica project in the three Baltic States, in order to discuss the benefits of Rail Baltica and its impact on the supply chains of the Estonian companies. All parties agreed that the new railway connection will raise the competitiveness of Estonian products but it may also impact local prices favorably.

As Rail Baltica’s implementation has entered the Design phase, last week RB RAIL AS met thirty European railway design suppliers to discuss their lessons learned and vision on the best railway design practice applicable to Rail Baltica implementation.

As Rail Baltica’s main coordinator and implementer, Baiba Rubesa shares the most up-to-date information regarding this mega project. – via Global Railway News

The shareholders of RB RAIL AS – “Rail Baltic Estonia” OU, “Eiropas dzelzceļa līnijas” SIA and “Rail Baltica statyba” UAB – have approved a new Supervisory Board with the following members: Edvīns Bērziņš, Chairman of the Board of “Latvijas Dzelzceļš” VAS, Anti Moppel, Member of Supervisory Board of “Rail Baltic Estonia” OU, Karolis Sankovski, CEO of “Rail Baltica Statyba” UAB, Vineta Rudzīte, Deputy Legal Director on administrative issues and Head of Secretariat of Presidents’ Council of “Latvijas Dzelzceļš” VAS, Indrek Orav, CEO of “Rail Baltic Estonia” OU, and Arenijus Jackus, Director of Rail Baltica Coordination Department at “Lietuvos geležinkeliai” UAB.

On 8 November 2017, RB RAIL AS representatives – Baiba Rubesa, CEO and Chairperson of the Management Board and Aivar Jaeski, Country Manager (Estonia and Finland) – met with Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland, Ossi Savolainen, Regional Mayor of Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council and Finnish business representatives to introduce Rail Baltica opportunities and benefits. The meetings with politicians and business community showed a keen interest from Finnish parties to assume an active role in Rail Baltica project.

On November 7, 2017, RB Rail AS representatives Baiba Rubesa, CEO and Chairperson of the Management Board, and Artūras Vilimas, Country Manager – Lithuania and Poland, met in Warsaw with Andrzej Bittel, the Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction and with Ireneusz Merchel, the President of the Management Board of the national railway network company PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A., to discuss the development and implementation of Rail Baltica in three Baltic States and Poland.

State Railway Technical Inspectorate of Latvia has issued three building permits to the implementing party of European gauge railway project Rail Baltica in Latvia – permits to the corporation Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas are issued for the implementation of Rail Baltica Riga station, bridge and embankment project.  Building permits are reveived for the reconstruction of Riga central passenger station building and passenger platforms, reconstruction and facilitation of the adjacent territory to the building, construction of a new railway bridge to accommodate the Rail Baltica 1435 mm gauge tracks (section from Maskavas Street to Jelgavas Street)m and for the reconstruction of existing VAS Latvijas dzelzceļš railway infrastructure 1520 mm gauge tracks and construction of Rail Baltica railway infrastructure 1435 mm gauge tracks in the section from Jelgavas Street to Lāčplēša Street.

Due to changes in the Latvian Public Procurement law, all Rail Baltica tender applications administered by RB RAIL AS onward will be processed using free of charge electronic information system and its sub-system e-tender.

On October 10, 2017, the Lithuanian Parliament with 96 votes in favour and one parliamentarian abstaining ratified agreement on development of Rail Baltica Railway Connection that was signed earlier this year in Tallinn by the Baltic Prime Ministers. The Estonian Parliament was the first to ratify the agreement at parliamentary session on June 19, 2017 with 63 votes in favour and 20 against the ratification. The Latvian Parliament followed with a unanimous vote to ratify the agreement on June 22, 2017.

Starting September, Aivar Jaeski joined the team of RB RAIL AS by taking up the position of Country Manager – Estonia and Finland. Aivar Jaeski is a former Estonian military officer with significant experience in transnational project leadership and implementation. As of October 3, 2017, he is also the Branch Manager of RB Rail AS Eesti filial which in late 2016 was registered in Estonia to promote successful project implementation operations of RB RAIL AS.