The Ministry of Transport said that a total of EUR 18,192,086 was allocated for the completion of the project work in the sections Upeslejas-Salaspils-Misa, Vangaži-Estonia border, Misa-Lithuania border and Riga Central Station hub section.
The government will decide separately on additional necessary funding for the design phase of the Upeslejas-Misa (railway line through Rīga).
The Ministry said the volume of the project had increased due to a number of factors. Additional costs have resulted from deviations from the originally planned railway line, an increase in train speed in line with the standards set by the European Commission (EC), the location of regional train stops, and additional safety measures.
'The European Commission conceptually supports the increase in the design scope and the reasonableness of the costs involved but does not re-allocate funds to the design activity. Completion of the design phase is a critical precondition for the start of major basic route construction, so a solution needs to be found jointly,” said Transport Minister Kaspars Briškens (Progressives).
In order to absorb the full amount of EC funding already granted, the ongoing design work has to be completed by December 31, 2024. The completion of the design work is also an essential precondition for attracting future CEF funding for the Rail Baltica project and continuation of construction work on the main route, the Ministry said.
