The winner of the contest will have to provide the construction of the Rail Baltica railway line and related infrastructure (bridges, transmissions, overpasses) in the territory of Latvia outside the borders of the city of Rīga in the length of more than 200 kilometers.
The design of the electrification and signalling systems of the railway will not be purchased in the framework of the procurement. In order to implement a common approach to the development of these systems, such procurement will be carried out by the Rail Baltica joint venture of the Baltic States.
Candidates must apply for the tender by January 28, 2022. The second round is scheduled to be announced in April 2022 with a view to launching the works in the first half of 2023. More details of the tender conditions can be found here.
Transport Minister Tālis Linkaits (New Conservative Party) said that procurement is an important step in the development of “Rail Baltica”, confirming Latvia's readiness to implement this project as soon as possible.
"It has been a year since the redevelopment of Riga Central Station and the construction of the Rail Baltica infrastructure at Riga International Airport started. We are now taking rapid and confident steps forward in timely preparation for the construction of the new railway base [..]," the minister said.
Kaspars Vingris, Chairman of the Board of the EDZL, said that this procurement would be the largest railway construction tender in Latvia.
The “Rail Baltica” railway route in Latvia covers approximately 260 kilometers, starting at the Lithuanian border and continuing through Bauska, Ķekava, Olaine, Mārupe, Rīga, Salaspils, Ropaži, Sigulda, Saulkrasti, and Limbaži.
The total cost of the Rail Baltica railway line in the Baltic States could reach €5.8 billion, according to EDZL.