DB Engineering & Consulting has been awarded the overall implementation project for the electrification (25 kV AC) of the 870-km-long double-track high-speed line (249 km/h) according to an agreement signed with the Rail Baltica joint venture RB Rail AS.
Together with partners IDOM Consulting, Engineering, Architecture, S.A.U. (Spain) and Italferr S.p.A. (Italy), DB Engineering & Consulting has been appointed as the energy (ENE) engineer and will be providing the engineering, consulting and FIDIC engineer services for the overall management and execution of the ENE deployment process across the Baltic States. This will encompass the Works Preparatory Phase (Phase I), Works Implementation Phase and Defects Notification Period (Phase II). The project will run for approximately 10 years.
Rail Baltica: A new standard for mobility
The Rail Baltica Global Project is a rail transport project aimed at integrating the Baltic States into the European rail network. It will cover Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and indirectly also Finland. The project will be a powerful catalyst for sustainable economic growth in the Baltic States, defining a new standard of passenger and freight mobility. The ENE Engineering Service project, of which DB Engineering & Consulting is part, is the largest single procured electrification project worldwide, connecting three different countries with a single piece of infrastructure.
The main objective of the general ENE Deployment Project is the successful introduction and implementation of the energy subsystem for the whole Rail Baltica network, which comprises approximately 870 km of track and 11 service sections. Commercial operations on the electrified line are due to begin in 2026.
The Rail Baltica high-speed line will include connections to 7 international railway passenger stations and 3 multimodal terminals as well as to airports and seaports, several regional passenger stations, maintenance facilities and the existing railway network.
Project scope
The scope of work includes the overall management of the ENE deployment processes in order to implement the Rail Baltica railway energy subsystem. The aim is to ensure interoperability across the Baltic States and connected European Countries, as well as compliance with all European norms and standards with respect to environmental impact. The optimal solution for Rail Baltica´s high-speed line will be implemented by:
- Ensuring proper quality control procedures,
- applying best practices and a transparent procurement model,
- and efficiently supervising the full deployment process.
The global project scope includes the energy subsystem for the Rail Baltica Global Project infrastructure in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, plus the section in the territory of Poland up to the technical border with the Polish rail infrastructure network (the first electrical separation section behind the Lithuanian–Polish border).
The electrification is a major step towards the realization of the Rail Baltica high-speed line and will require the maximum effort of all the parties involved.
While DB Engineering & Consulting is now involved in the design and construction phase, we are proud to have already been part of the Rail Baltica storyin the past. We previously advised Rail Baltica on the long-term business plan and pre-feasibility study for the Muuga Terminal in Estonia and are currently designing the 67km-long Latvian Vangazi–Salaspils–Misa line in Latvia and supervising the design and construction work for Riga Central Station.