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.
Baiba Rubesa informed the Polish counterparts about an important completed milestone in the Baltics States, namely the ratification of the Rail Baltica Intergovernmental Agreement by the Parliaments of the Republic of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. She also highlighted the progress of the project’s development in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, including an introduction to the first main steps being taken regarding the designing of the railway line in the Baltic states. As the modernization of the railway line E75 in Poland and the construction of new infrastructure in the Baltic States are closely related, it is very important to have close cooperation to be able to align further actions in the implementation of such complex, long-term, unique and strategic cross-border project’s of European significance.
As RB Rail AS is responsible for the construction of the cross-border railway segment of the section in Lithuania, on the Lithuanian/Polish state border, the parties discussed a project coordination process to ensure the interoperability of the railway line.
Minister Andrzej Bittel stated that Poland is open to the cooperation of experts from the Polish Ministry, the infrastructure manager and Railway Institute with their counterparts from the Baltic States to in be able to determine the details of specific parameters and plans for putting the line into operation. Currently Poland has progressed well and on time with their planned scope of works.
During the meeting at the PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. , the parties discussed the efficient management process of the cross-border railway line part related to development and construction. All see a need for the establishment of a common technical work group establishment to ensure a smooth project coordination process, with the main tasks being to facilitate activities implementation and ensuring railway interoperability on the cross-border section. Experts from Poland and the joint venture RB Rail will start being engaged in the operational plan study implementation, procured by RB Rail AS. This study addresses the Rail Baltica corridor in its entirety from Warsaw to Helsinki.
Mr Ireneusz Merchel said that Poland has already completed the Rail Baltica segment from Warsaw to Sadowne, while from Sadowne to Czyzew works are ongoing. Design documentation is being finalised on the section Czyzew-Bialystok so that construction works can start next year. On the section Bialystok-Elk, design documentation is under preparation once the Contractor is chosen. On the section Elk-PL/LT state border, the contractor is preparing the necessary feasibility study for on planning and preparatory works, EIA and nature inventory screening.
“We are very pleased to learn that Poland has started analysis and is realising a strategic vision on high speed railway network development in Poland. RB Rail AS will be happy to cooperate and share the experience and created knowledge so far on the fast-conventional railway developments in the Baltics States with the speed of 240km/h for passenger services and 120km/h for freight.”, said Baiba Rubesa.