Rail Baltica has signed a contract valued at €38.31m ($44.5m) for design and supervision services on a 96km railway segment connecting Poland and Lithuania.
The contract, which was awarded through a competitive public tender, involves RB Rail, the joint venture (JV) behind Rail Baltica, alongside LTG Infra, Lithuania’s national project implementer, and DB Engineering & Consulting.
DB Engineering & Consulting will be responsible for the design of an electrified double-track railway extending from the Polish border through Marijampole to Kaunas (Jiesia).
This new standard-gauge European line will integrate with the existing Rail Baltica line, which will continue to support freight transport, including military cargo.
The project will also incorporate essential traffic control and signalling systems to enhance train operation efficiency.
Lithuania Transport and Communications Acting Minister Eugenijus Sabutis said: “The Rail Baltica link with Poland is our gateway to the West. We expect it to be the first route where high-speed, European standard-gauge trains will begin operating.
“I am pleased with the project’s progress – it brings us closer not only to faster and more convenient travel, but also plays a vital role in strengthening the security and development of the entire Baltic region.”
The new connection from the Poland-Lithuania border to Kaunas is anticipated to improve both passenger and freight mobility along the North Sea-Baltic corridor.
It will provide freight operators with a quicker and more sustainable alternative to road transport, supporting Europe’s decarbonisation and modal shift objectives.
Construction is currently underway across all three Baltic states, with 43% of the mainline expected to be construction-ready by the end of this year.
LTG Group CEO Egidijus Lazauskas said: “The section connecting us with bordering Poland is a high priority for us, and we are working closely with our counterparts in the neighbouring infrastructure operator.”
DB Engineering & Consulting has been involved in the Rail Baltica Global Project for eight years and has previously contributed to significant components, including the design of the first dual road-rail bridge over the Daugava River in Riga.
Recently, LTG Infra, the infrastructure division of LTG Group, secured three contracts worth €235m ($271.9m) for the Rail Baltica project in Lithuania.
The contracts include the installation of 10km of rail between Sveicarija and Zeimiai, and the construction of an 18.9km embankment from Kaunas to Sveicarija.
