Tender announced for Rail Baltica line station at Riga Airport
Posted: 12 November 2019 | Global Railway Review | No comments yet
The station along the Rail Baltica line will be the first high-speed rail and air traffic connection hub in the Baltic States.
An artist's impression of how the new Rail Baltica station could look.
The tender has been announced for the construction of a station and related infrastructure for the Rail Baltica line at Riga International Airport.
The tender includes the station building at the airport, overpass, access roads, embankment, 6km-long section of railway tracks and 113m-long overpass over K. Ulmaņa gatve.
Construction works at the airport are planned to be carried out in the following six phases:
- The station’s building, designed in three levels, will be constructed, as well as overpass building structures and access roads with the related infrastructure
- Creation of the building facade, where wood has been chosen as the dominating element – respecting the tradition of wooden architecture in Latvia
- Mechanical systems will be made, and interior decoration and improvement will take place
- Erection of an overpass between Rīga and Jaunmārupe
- Building of an embankment and 113m-long railway overpass over K. Ulmaņa gatve
- Construction of two railway tracks for Rail Baltica express trains and ‘shuttle’ trains.
Rail Baltica express trains will run four times a day and shuttle trains will run approximately every 30 minutes between the airport and Riga Central Station. Once complete, travellers will be able to get from the airport to the city centre in just eight minutes.
The international tender is planned to take place in two phases. The first phase will include selection of candidates, which is planned by January 2020. The second phase is planned for the submission of the proposals submitted by the candidates and negotiations to enter into a contract at the end of 2020 and to commence construction works in 2021.
According to the current estimates, the procurement could reach between €250–280 million.
It is planned for Riga International Airport to remain operational throughout the works. In parallel to the station’s construction, an extension of the airport’s passenger terminal and construction of a new air traffic control tower is also planned.
Just as the entire Rail Baltica project, funding is to be received for each stage of works separately and will be requested from the EU CEF funds.
