The Rail Baltica project has entered a new phase in Latvia – work on the construction of a railway embankment has begun near Iecava in the southern part of the country. A logistics hub, the Infrastructure Maintenance Facility (IMF), has been set up here on the section between Misa and the Lithuanian border, which will perform a key function during the construction of the highway. The topsoil is currently being removed, earthworks are being carried out, the foundation for the tracks is being laid, and access roads are being constructed. Sixteen modular offices for the contractor, JV ERB Rail, have also been delivered and are being installed.
According to Latvian Transport Minister Atis Švinka, the Rail Baltica project is gaining momentum in the country: “It is important to show not only citizens, but also the European Commission that we have moved from words to deeds.” In recent weeks, the area has been cleared of unexploded ordnance, stumps have been uprooted, and the foundation for future structures has been prepared. The next stage will be the installation of culverts, modernization of drainage systems and dismantling of outdated structures.
Rail Baltica is being actively built in all three Baltic countries. In Estonia, the largest contracts have been signed for the construction of the main sections and the passenger terminal in Tallinn, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. In Lithuania, work is underway on the Kaunas-Latvia section, and the longest railway bridge in the region is being built. The Latvian section is becoming an important element of the trans-European transport corridor, moving into the full-scale construction stage.