Rail Baltic Estonia announced two major procurements on Wednesday with a total potential value of more than EUR 1 billion.
An alliance procurement is meant to lead to two contracts on the construction of the main Rail Baltica line from Ülemiste in Tallinn to the southwestern Estonian city of Pärnu, and then between Pärnu and the Estonian-Latvian border. The total value of the contracts, taken together with the possibility of procuring strategic materials for the project, might amount to EUR 932 million. Another procurement worth EUR 57 million has been announced for the construction of a terminal building at Ülemiste.
“Rail Baltica will connect Estonia to the European railway network so as to create a new economic and mobility corridor which will benefit not just the Baltic States, but also Finland, Central Europe and regions beyond,” says Estonian Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Svet. “The time impact on the construction is clearly positive for our economy, because it will mean an estimated EUR 650 million in tax revenues for the national budget. Today we are celebrating a significant milestone in the development of Rail Baltica in Estonia by announcing the largest infrastructure procurement in our country’s history – one that has a value of nearly one billion euros.”
Rail Baltic Estonia board chairman Anvar Salomets says that the procurements mean an important step forward. The construction of the main line and the terminal at Ülemiste will result in better connections with Europe, as well as new opportunities for the region’s entrepreneurs. All project partners, including architects, engineers and builders, are working hard to ensure that by 2030, Rail Baltica will be fully completed so as to start services for passengers and freight carriers, Salomets explained.
The new terminal at Ülemiste will be one of the region’s most modern and environmentally sustainable transport hubs, linking international train services to local modes of transport.
The first phase of the terminal project will involve the installation of subterranean load-bearing structures, pedestrian tunnels and technical rooms. This work has already begun. In future, the terminal building will be constructed along with adjacent areas, including a tram line and parking facilities.
Source: BNS
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