“Consultations with businesses are becoming a typical and effective practice of the company, which helps us better prepare for tenders and obtain the best results. Thus, I invite all companies to actively participate in the consultations, propose the best solutions and alternatives. After the consultations, in consideration of their results, we will finish drafting purchase documents and will announce contracting tenders valued at almost 480 million euro, for which Lithuania has already secured half of the necessary financing. These works, just like the entire Rail Baltica project, which is valued at a combined 2.8 billion euro has in the face of COVID-19 the possibility of becoming a massive “lifebuoy” for Lithuanian businesses. Thus I urge companies not to be passive observers and actively contribute to implementing the project,” AB Lietuvos Geležinkelių Infrastruktūra director-general Karolis Sankovski says.
During the consultations, businesses will be asked to offer their insights, proposals and recommendations for the project’s public tenders, selecting a procurement model, establishing qualification requirements, evaluation criteria for proposal economic benefits, the main provisions of the procurement contract.
For almost 480 million euro, a 96 km long railway embankment will be constructed between Kaunas and Panevėžys for a two-lane 1435 mm wide railway adapted for high-speed rail traffic, engineering buildings and connecting roads will be built. 58km of upper road construction will be built, as well as a bridge over Neris river.
“This project implementation will be unique in Lithuanian history in its complexity. I am talking not only about the length of the railway line. Based on the expected requirements, for the first time, a project of this size will be implemented with the use of 3D Building Information Models, helping use resources effectively and plan work and resources. During the project’s implementation, the longest railway bridge in the Baltic States will be built across the Neris river, spanning more than 1.5 km. We have decided that prior to announcing a tender of such complexity, we must make use of all possible know-how so that the project would be implemented as successfully as possible,” K. Sankovski says.
The Rail Baltica railway line from Kaunas to the Lithuanian-Latvian border contracting tender will be held in two stages. In the first stage, applying dynamic procurement systems, contractors for individual objects will be selected, who reach minimum qualification requirements. The projects are to be: 98km of new railway embankments, engineering building and connector road construction between Kaunas and Panevėžys, 58km of upper railroad construction and the construction of a bridge over Neris river.
During the second stage, contracting procurements will be announced for 12 specific infrastructural objects.
Rail Baltica is the largest railway infrastructure construction project in the history of the Baltic States, during which over the entire Rail Baltica route, will see the laying of a two-lane electrified 1435mm rail track. The project’s constructions, which are planned to be valued at around 5.8 billion euro, are the largest investment, intended to improve mobility and travel opportunities, develop business, tourism and goods exchanges in the region.
The total length of Rail Baltica over three countries is 870 kilometres: 392 in Lithuania, 265 in Latvia and 213 in Estonia. The European track in Lithuania spans from the Polish-Lithuanian border through Kaunas and Panevėžys into Latvia, where it passes Riga and onto Estonia’s Pärnu and Tallinn. A Kaunas-Vilnius segment is an integral part of Rail Baltica.
Lithuania implemented the first stage of Rail Baltica in 2015 – a European railway line was laid down from the Polish-Lithuanian border to Kaunas. During this stage, 123km of European standard international rail was laid down, which sees passenger trains travelling from Kaunas to Bialystok. In the future, this segment will be further modernised so that passenger trains, just like on the rest of Rail Baltica, can travel at a maximum speed of 249km/h.
Currently, active Rail Baltica construction works are ongoing at the Kaunas railway exchange. With these concluded, freight trains will be able to travel from Kaunas to Poland and onto Western Europe.
AB Lietuvos Geležinkelių Infrastruktūra is the implementer of the Rail Baltica project in Lithuania, responsible for the construction of the European rail in the country.
