Riga Airport rail station contract signed

It was signed by the European gauge project implementer in Latvia “Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas” SIA and the winner of the open international tender – a partnership of suppliers from three countries: PROSIV /Sintagma (Italy), Prodex (Slovakia) and Vektors T (Latvia).

The total length of the railway line to be designed is 4.4 km. The station at Riga airport will be located on a viaduct (stretching across all the airport territory for 2 km) on the same level with the perspective terminal’s check-in hall. A 400 meter long platform will ensure service of the international and short-distance (incl. shuttle) trains.

Within the framework of the project also a new railway crossing over K.Ulmaņa Gatve, and an embankment in the section from Imanta to the airport (2.3. km in length) will be constructed. The development of the infrastructure will also allow the creation of a cargo link to the airport territory.

Baiba Rubesa, the Chairwoman of the Management Board and Executive Officer of RB Rail said: "The integration of Rail Baltica high-speed train with the airport infrastructure provides all the necessary preconditions for ensuring intermodal connections that are appropriate for the 21st century... The agreement signed today confirms once again that the Rail Baltica project is taking ever greater steps towards the maturity of the project: the design phase of the project is commencing with full force.”

Ilona Līce, the Chairman of the Management Board of International airport Riga said a modern and up-to-date airport "is not imaginable without a connection to a railway system. For Riga airport... this element has so far been a major drawback. The construction of Rail Baltica is in line with the long-term development of the airport as it will strengthen the role of Riga airport as the main transport hub of the Baltics and will improve Latvia’s interconnectivity with other European Union countries, will expand the range of potential passengers of Riga Airport both towards Lithuania and Estonia, and will provide additional facilities for passengers to get from the airport to the city.”

Rail Baltica is a 6 billion euro railway transport project, which aims to integrate the Baltic States within the European railway network. It is envisaged to build a new 870 km long European gauge (1435 mm) railway line with a maximum speed of 240 km/h.