“Currently, the technical projects for the Rail Baltica railway line from Kaunas to the Lithuanian-Latvian border are being finalised; consultations are concluding with construction companies on public procurements for construction works, then we will begin announcing contracting tenders. The tenders will be organised in two stages – in the first, construction companies matching qualification requirements will be selected, and in the second stage, the selected companies will submit the specific proposals for individual construction objects and components,” AB Lietuvos Geležinkelių Infrastruktūra director-general Karolis Sankovski says.

Considering the scope of EU financing for the Rail Baltica railway line Kaunas – Lithuanian-Latvian state border, the limits of the technical projects being drafted, technological differences in work execution and in consideration of experience in implementing similar projects, the railway line construction works are split into four main purchase object groups for which separate contracts would be signed: the railway embankment and engineering structures construction, the connecting road laying, the construction of a bridge over Neris River near Jonava city and upper railway structure installation works.

Qualification adherence competitions for railway embankment and engineering building construction, the Neris River bridge construction and upper railway structure installation will be launched first. During the qualification adherence competition, in parallel, technical requirements will be drafted for the second stage of the competition.

It is planned for the railway embankment, engineering building and connecting road laying works to be valued at 475 million euro without VAT. Of this, the construction of the Neris River Bridge will comprise 67 million euro without VAT. The EU will finance 85% of the total sum, while the rest will be from the budget of the Republic of Lithuania.

“Currently, Lithuania has presented an application to receive EU support, with 201 million euro of it to be allocated to the tender for contracting works. Lithuania has secured another 202 million euro in financing from the EU. In consideration of how the EU’s 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework is concluding, the issued allocations must be used by 2023 at the latest. Thus, there can be no delay, and in order to complete the project in time, we must begin executing the work as soon as possible,” K. Sankovski says.

Based on a 2017 cost-benefit analysis and expert evaluation, the combined required financing for the construction of the railway line Kaunas – Lithuanian-Latvian state border is 977 million euro, with the project being funded up to 85% from EU funds.

Qualification adherence competitions are soon to be also launched for the remaining fourth object group of the Rail Baltica railway line Kaunas – Lithuanian-Latvian state border – the laying of connecting roads.