Rail Baltica

Rendel and parent company, Ingerop, have been appointed to coordinate civil engineering and track laying for the construction of the Latvian section of Rail Baltica, as part of the consortium led by Eiffage Génie Civil SAS (France), Budimex S.A. and Rizzani de Eccher S.p.A (ERB Rail). ERB Rail was awarded the FIDIC (international federation of consulting engineers) contract by Eiropas Dzelzcela Linijas (EDZL), who are Rail Baltica’s representative in Latvia.

The Latvian section, which is 230 kilometres long and will cost €3.7 billion, includes 175 engineering structures and 11 wildlife crossings. The project aims to integrate the Baltic States into the European rail network, linking Helsinki in Finland, and Warsaw in Poland. The track design will enable passenger trains to travel at 249 kilometres per hour, and freight trains at 120 kilometres per hour.

The structures will include railway substructures, level crossings and other railway infrastructure. The first phase of construction, which will cost approximately €165 million and extend 13 kilometres, began in summer 2024 in the Bauska region of Latvia, near Lecava.

To co-ordinate the design of the Latvian section of Rail Baltica, Rendel and Ingerop have set up ‘Rendel Latvia’ and ‘Ingerop Latvia’ to manage the project. A large team based in Riga will be supported by Ingerop experts in France and Spain, and the UK through Rendel. The team’s services include control of the design process, cost optimisation and interoperability, to ensure that the project is designed to current standards and offers optimum value for money.

The Rendel and Ingerop team, and its Latvian partners, will collaborate closely with ERB Rail to ensure the successful completion of the project.