Contract for Rail Baltica in Riga signed

The price tag on the part of the project passing through the Latvian capital is 430 million euros

Prepare yourselves for a Riga you’ve never even imagined. A 430 million euro project was signed at the end of May that will transform the Latvian capital’s landscape beyond recognition. This massive project is only one of the many parts that constitute the even grander Rail Baltica scheme.

But what is Rail Baltica? In short, it’s one of the biggest infrastructure projects in development in the European Union. It aims to bring together and connect Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland via a fully electrified and eco-friendly railway. It will serve as the connecting tissue between Central and Northern Europe. It will also most importantly, go through the capitals of the respective countries.

The part of the Rail Baltica project that is to traverse through Riga, will be constructed by the Latvian-Belgian consortium BESIX RERE. The 10,000 page document includes the complete vision of how the Latvian capital will be transformed with the completion of this massive project. One of the most important advantages that future Riga will offer is the removal of natural barriers that divide the city – in this case between Old Riga and Latgale suburb, currently separated by an embankment. The consortium is to make a full presentation of its vision on the 11 June at the Latvian Transport Ministry.