Lithuanian infrastructure company LTG Infra, responsible for the implementation of the international Rail Baltica project, has signed three new construction contracts worth a total of EUR 235 million. The works will cover 10 km of track laying between Switzerland and Žeimiai, as well as 18.9 km of new roadbed from Kaunas to Switzerland. Track installation worth EUR 13.9 million will be carried out by a consortium of Leonhard Weiss International (Germany) and Leonhard Weiss OÜ (Estonia), while roadbed construction is shared between AB HISK (8.5 km for EUR 97.8 million) and a consortium of UAB Fegda and UAB Tilsta (10.4 km for EUR 123.5 million).
According to Egidijus Lazauskas, the head of LTG Group, the transition to the track laying stage accelerates the implementation of the project, and the advance purchase of materials reduces the risk of supply disruptions. Lithuanian Transport Minister Eugenijus Sabutis noted that each new section of the European gauge brings the country closer to EU integration, strengthens the economy and security of the region.
As part of Rail Baltica, 77 km of the main line is already under construction in Lithuania, and work will begin on another 114 km by the end of the year. The project is financed by the EU and the state budget and will become the largest railway infrastructure initiative in the history of the Baltics, connecting Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia with Central and Western Europe.