The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has instructed the national implementer of the Rail Baltica project in Latvia, Eiropas dzelzceļa līnijas (EDzL), to submit calculations by next Friday, the 23rd of January, on the conservation of the Rail Baltica bridge pillar in the River Daugava.
The ministry noted that EDzL must submit the total conservation costs related to the reduction of the scope of the Riga Central Railway Hub, including the construction works for the first bridge pillar.
It is planned that the technical design for the conservation of the first bridge pillar will be developed in the second half of 2026. To preserve the quality of the pillar, EDzL will prepare a technical conservation project in line with the specific characteristics of the structure, while supervision will be the responsibility of the national project implementer.
Commenting on whether someone should be held responsible for the bridge pillar, the ministry explained that the construction of the first stage of the railway bridge was included in the original scope of the Riga Central Railway Hub, for which Cohesion Fund (CEF) financing had been secured. In accordance with the funding agreement, the allocated funds had to be absorbed; otherwise, they would have had to be returned, and if the task had not been completed, it could not have been reapplied for under another CEF project call.
The ministry also emphasized that this activity was submitted in 2022,
prior to the government’s decision on the first-phase activities of the Rail Baltica project in Latvia, and that it corresponded to the project scope approved at that time.
According to the ministry, the first stage of construction of the new railway bridge over the Daugava was completed in March 2025, connecting the first bridge pillar in the river with the structures on the riverbank. In line with general construction regulations, if construction work is suspended for more than one year, protective measures for the structures must be carried out. The need for conservation has been determined based on an opinion by the State Construction Control Bureau (BVKB) and other regulatory requirements.
The ministry also acknowledged that, in the first phase up to 2030, priority has been given to the construction of the Rail Baltica main line, while the Riga connection to the Rail Baltica line in the first phase will be ensured using the existing railway network.
Consequently, the resumption of bridge construction will be possible after these priorities have been implemented, most likely after 2030.
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) emphasized to journalists on Wednesday, the 14th of January, that
someone must certainly take responsibility for the unfinished Rail Baltica bridge pillar in the Daugava.
From the Prime Minister’s remarks, it is understood that she has asked the Minister of Transport to calculate the costs of the necessary solutions for conserving the pillar, but that these calculations have not yet been completed. “At the same time, an investigation into Rail Baltica is also under way, because I fully agree that someone must take responsibility for how this project has been managed,” Siliņa stressed.
As previously reported, EDzL Chairman of the Board Māris Dzelme revealed earlier this month on the TV24 programme Uz līnijas that the Rail Baltica bridge pillar driven into the Daugava will be conserved this year, but its “de-conservation” will most likely take place only after 2030.
It has also been reported, based on information from RB Rail, that the costs of the first phase of Rail Baltica in the Baltic States could reach €14.3 billion, including €5.5 billion in Latvia. However, there is potential for savings of up to €500 million through optimization of technical solutions, as well as other possible savings.
According to the cost–benefit analysis, the total project costs in the Baltic States could reach €23.8 billion. In a previous cost–benefit analysis conducted in 2017, the total project cost was estimated at €5.8 billion.
The Rail Baltica project requires the construction of a European-standard-gauge railway line from Tallinn to the Lithuanian–Polish border, enabling the Baltic States to be connected by rail to other European countries. In the Baltic States, a new 870-kilometre-long European-gauge (1,435 mm) railway line is planned, with trains operating at a maximum speed of 240 kilometres per hour.
Read also: The notorious Rail Baltica bridge pillar in the Daugava will be put into conservation for several years