A significant step has been taken towards the construction of the Rail Baltica mainline outside the Latvian capital as the final design coordination approval for the Iecava infrastructure maintenance point’s design conditions has been received from the State Railway Technical Inspection. This marks the first mainline section in Latvia where the design phase has been successfully completed, coordinated by the Rail Baltica national implementing body in Latvia, Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas, allowing to start construction works at the Iecava maintenance point.
The design work is being carried out by a consortium of Latvian and Italian companies, SIA BRD projekts and the Italian engineering company Sintagma Srl.
The Rail Baltica mainline section from Riga to the Lithuanian border was set as a priority, and construction works will begin at the end of 2023. The initial construction work is planned to take place at the Iecava maintenance point, initially established as a construction logistics base also connected to the existing railway network for the transportation of equipment and materials from ports.
“We have successfully completed the design phase for another infrastructure object. This means that as soon as the winner of the mainline construction tender is determined, Latvia will be ready to start preparing for construction works in the priority direction towards Lithuania. Funding in the amount of EUR 165 million has been secured specifically for the start of the mainline construction at the end of 2023,” emphasized Kaspars Vingris, Chairman of the Board of Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas. “The design phase has been completed ahead of the planned schedule and within the budget, with significant contribution from both responsible companies – Sintagma Slr (Project Manager Valerio Baiocco) and our Latvian design partner SIA BRD projekts.”
Within the scope of Rail Baltica objects in Latvia there will be not only two international passenger terminals and 16 regional stations but also two infrastructure maintenance points – in Iecava and Skulte (the section towards Estonia). Although the primary function of these maintenance points will be the maintenance of the Rail Baltica railway network, the added value will be seen even before their actual operation. During the construction of the Rail Baltica mainline, the maintenance points in Iecava and Skulte will serve as construction hubs or logistics bases, ensuring the storage of construction materials, equipment, and machinery, as well as necessary preparation and processing activities.
“Like any other type of infrastructure, railway tracks require maintenance to keep everything in working condition, ensuring efficient and, above all, safe transportation. Railway tracks are a long-term investment, and we all want the newly constructed Rail Baltica infrastructure to serve for a long time to provide maximum benefits. That is why two maintenance points in Skulte and Iecava like these are planned and are being built for Rail Baltica,” explained Arnis Staltmanis, Member of the Board at Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas.
To ensure the successful execution of tasks at the infrastructure maintenance points, the establishment of appropriate infrastructure is planned. This will involve keeping the necessary equipment or machinery on hand, allowing for the storage, assembly, and restoration of track materials, as well as storage of railway system elements also equipping and maintaining rolling stock in working condition. The total area of the Iecava infrastructure maintenance point is planned to be approximately 16 hectares. It is envisaged to construct 1435 mm gauge tracks over a length of approximately 14 km, as well as to build connections to nearby 1520 mm gauge tracks.
