The ambitious Rail Baltica project has become a pain for the Baltic States over the past year – the cost increases are so massive that the project will only be partially completed by 2030. How is Latvia doing with the implementation of the project, how is the European standard gauge rail link from Lithuania to the Estonian border going to be secured and what has been done so far? LSM.lv has summarized the major developments (and underdevelopments).
This is Part 2. Part 1 of the article is available here .
In Latvia, the outlines of the Rail Baltica project are most visible in the capital, where work is underway on the international stations and one of the supports of the new railway bridge under construction is visible in the Daugava River. The situation with the future Rail Baltica main line is more interesting – although the paperwork says that construction has already started at the Lithuanian border, the reality is different.
Riga Airport Station – RIX
The project will build a 4.5 km high-speed rail line, including a flyover, an embankment, and a multi-level high-speed railway station with a multifunctional infrastructure for passenger comfort.
The Transport Ministry explained that the most visible progress has been made in the area of the RIX railway station building. The construction works planned for this season have been completed and the conservation of the station structures for the winter is underway.
The reinforced concrete structures for the future station building have been completed and the structurally independent flyover section has been built. The station building now stands 18 meters high, with a total height of around 25 meters with the steel roof structure. In the future, a pedestrian bridge will connect the station to the airport.
The second phase of construction has now started on the RIX site. A 13-metre high railway overpass is being built in the direction of Rīga and Mārupe to ensure that the tracks do not interfere with car traffic and airport operations. The first part of the flyover is currently under construction. In the Marupe direction, 96 working piles have been constructed, on which the future railway overpass will rest. In the Riga direction, the construction of the flyover is still at an early stage and preparations for test piles are underway. In the Marupe direction, the total length of the flyover will be less than 800 metres, in the Riga direction – more than 1 km.
In the closed area of the airport, the existing utility networks, the airport service station, and the boiler house are also gradually being rebuilt to make way for the future railway flyover.
Riga Central Railway Station – RCS
The station will have a total of 14 tracks and 8 elevated platforms for easier boarding of trains, as well as shops and service outlets, including waiting areas, in line with a modern station. A new connection between Elizabetes and Timoteja Streets is also planned to improve public transport flow in the city center. A new cycling infrastructure is also planned for several kilometers.
The construction of the RCS was organized in phases, ensuring that passenger and freight trains ran smoothly through Riga throughout the construction of the station. Once all the work is completed, the new European gauge tracks will be located on the south side of the newly built station, with the existing gauge tracks next to them.
A railway overpass at Lāčplēša Street has been built in the vicinity of the RCS, and work is continuing on other overpasses. The RCS constrictions and adjacent infrastructure are also under construction.
Four roof arches have been constructed in the southern part of the station, and a total of seven arches are planned for the northern part of the station. The installation of railway systems, track, and utilities continues at the station.
Track-laying works are also currently underway in the southern part of the RCS. The existing 1520 mm gauge track is currently being laid as a temporary solution so that when the southern half of the station is commissioned, the existing train and passenger traffic can be diverted there and construction work on the northern half can continue. To complete this phase of work, a total of about 6 km of track needs to be built, with about 1 km currently under construction.
Railway bridge over the Daugava in Riga
The railway bridge over the Daugava is planned to be built parallel to the existing Railway Bridge and will be about 1 km long. The bridge will be located on the Central Market side. A total of 15 spans are planned across the Daugava. The bridge will accommodate two tracks, which will be slightly higher than the adjacent Railway Bridge in order to maintain navigability. An emergency lane is also planned next to them for pedestrians and cyclists.
At the end of the summer, the construction of the first abutment of the bridge over the Daugava River was completed, and the concrete of the span over the first three abutments is currently being poured.
Main line Lithuania/Latvia border – Salaspils
The construction of the main line is planned to start from the Lithuanian border towards Salaspils, as this is the section most ready for construction. The first phase will cover the construction of about 40 km of the main line to Misa, which includes the construction of track substructures and superstructures, including land preparation, embankments, railway bridges, roads, underpasses, overpasses, utility relocation, track and ballast installation.
The Transport Ministry information report on the scenario for the implementation of the first phase of Rail Baltica in Latvia states that “the construction of the Rail Baltica route has already started from the Lithuanian/Latvian border towards Salaspils”.However, the reality is different – the Ministry explained to LSM.lv that construction works are still pending. So, shovels have not yet been put in the ground, the construction site is still being set up.
The first construction works on the main line are expected in the Bauska region near Iecava, on the territory of the planned Rail Baltica infrastructure maintenance point. Construction work on this section of the main line is expected to start by the end of this year.
The Rail Baltica route within Latvia is divided into four major sections: Latvian/Lithuanian border-Misa, Misa-Upeslejas-Vangaži, Vangaži-Latvian/Estonian border, and the Riga section, which is further subdivided into Misa-RIX, RIX-RCS and RCS-Upeslejas sub-phases. The sections are of different technical readiness.
What has been done on the Lithuanian-Estonian border section
The Transport Ministry considers that a 1435 mm main line running through the city of Riga should be built after 2030. Therefore, in the Ministry’s view, the construction of the Riga section should also be prepared.
What has been done on the Rīga section
However, the most ready sites for this project are the international stations.
What has been done at Riga’s international passenger stations
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