Construction advances on Rail Baltica station at Riga Airport

Credit: Rail Baltica

The construction of the Rail Baltica station and its associated infrastructure at Riga Airport is making significant progress, with work currently focused on the viaducts leading to the future passenger terminal. The railway line will be elevated on a viaduct to ensure smooth traffic flow and ease of passenger movement.

B.S.L. Infra, the contractor for the project, has recently completed the reinforced concrete frame of the station building, which now stands three stories high. Plans for the station include a pedestrian bridge connecting it directly to the airport. The viaduct towards Jaunmārupe will span nearly 800m, while the segment leading to Riga will extend over 1km.

“The construction work and the contract are divided into several phases, progressing according to the available funding. The active construction zone near the airport is now shifting from the station to the viaducts. This is the second largest phase of the Rail Baltica infrastructure project, covering more than 4.5km of high-speed railway line,” said Ēriks Diļevs, Chairman of the Board of Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas.

Progress in the direction of Jaunmārupe has included the installation of 96 foundation piles, alongside the demolition of a former office building at Piestātnes Street 6. Within the restricted area of Riga Airport, reconstruction of existing utility networks is underway to accommodate the future railway viaduct. Near Dzirnieku Street, construction of concrete grid structures for the viaduct has begun.

In the direction of Riga, the project has initiated utility network reconstructions and piling work in the airport’s parking area. Test piling is also being conducted in long-term parking to assess load-bearing capacity and determine the necessary depth for the foundation.

To reduce noise and vibrations, the construction employs a drilling and concreting method known as the Kelly technique instead of traditional pile driving. The completed concrete structure of the Rail Baltica station now reaches a height of 20m, with a total anticipated height of 25m once the steel roof is added. The viaduct is engineered to withstand dynamic loads, accommodating train speeds up to 120 km/h.

The Rail Baltica project is being executed by the international consortium B.S.L. Infra, which includes Austria’s Swietelsky AG and Latvian firms SIA Binders and AS LNK Industries. This ambitious infrastructure initiative aims to enhance the high-speed rail network, improving connectivity in the region.