The Riga connection is planned for the second phase of the Rail Baltica project, Marko Kivila, Chairman of the Board of RB Rail, told LETA in an interview.
He explained that the first phase of Rail Baltica includes the construction of the entire main line by 2030, while the timetable for the second phase has not yet been agreed upon with the responsible ministries of the Baltic States.
“At the moment, everyone is focused on implementing the first phase. Once this phase reaches a stable implementation stage, I believe there will be more time to discuss the second phase,” Kivila said.
He confirmed that the ministries had requested a cost-benefit analysis of two options for connecting Riga’s southern and northern routes to the main Rail Baltica line. However, no funding has yet been allocated for this work, so it has been postponed for the time being.
“Latvia should now focus on building the connection to the Lithuanian border and then the bridge over the Daugava River to Salaspils, in order to create a link with the 1,520-millimeter gauge tracks and launch a shuttle train to Riga stations, connecting Riga to the Rail Baltica main line as soon as possible,” Kivila explained.
He added that the first phase of Rail Baltica covers the construction of the entire main line, but in terms of funding priorities in Latvia, the focus will be on the section from the Lithuanian border to Salaspils – unless alternative funding sources are found.
According to RB Rail, the joint venture of the Baltic States, the cost of the first phase of Rail Baltica in the Baltics could reach EUR 14.3 billion, including EUR 5.5 billion in Latvia. Potential savings of up to EUR 500 million could be achieved by optimizing technical solutions, along with other efficiency measures.
The total cost of the project could reach EUR 23.8 billion in the Baltics, according to the cost-benefit analysis. A previous cost-benefit analysis in 2017 estimated the total project cost at EUR 5.8 billion.
Rail Baltica is a double-track, European-standard (1,435 mm gauge) electrified railway for passenger and freight transport, to be built from Tallinn to the Lithuanian – Polish border. The total length of the railway will be 870 kilometers.
Source: BNS
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