BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 12. Construction of European-standard railway tracks (1,435 mm gauge) has officially begun in Lithuania’s Jonava district, marking a major milestone in the Rail Baltica project, Trend reports.
Meanwhile, by the end of this year, 8.8 kilometers of new tracks will be laid along the Šveicarija–Žeimiai section
“Railway construction is moving from planning to real action — from vision to tracks being laid. Rail Baltica is not only a modern transport project but also a guarantee of security for the entire Baltic region. Every section of this European-gauge railway strengthens both Lithuania’s and the European Union’s eastern border security, while ensuring that Lithuanian citizens have fast and convenient connections with Western Europe,” said Minister of Transport Juras Taminskas.
The rails are being connected and aligned using specialized technology to meet international construction standards. Each rail measures 25 meters, and for the 2024 works, LTG Infra procured 86,200 tons of ballast, 29,500 reinforced concrete sleepers, and 42 kilometers of rails.
Egidijus Lazauskas, CEO of the LTG Group, said that while planning and preparation take significant time, actual track construction progresses rapidly once underway.
“Right now, maintaining the momentum and pace we achieved last year is our top priority,” he said.
According to LTG Infra, the company implementing the project, infrastructure investments deliver measurable benefits to the state.
“Every euro invested brings at least two euros in return. It’s a sustainable way to invest in the economy — the long-term benefits extend beyond society to economic growth, job creation, tourism, and other sectors. We’re very satisfied with the progress made by contractors and subcontractors across the entire 77-kilometer construction section,” said LTG Infra CEO Vytis Žalimas.
The public tender for the Rail Baltica Šveicarija–Žeimiai track construction was won by a joint venture between Leonhard Weiss GmbH & Co. KG (Germany) and Leonhard Weiss OÜ (Estonia). The contract, signed with LTG Infra, is valued at €16.8 million (including VAT).
After the upper track structure is completed, the high-speed rail line will be electrified. In September, the three Baltic states and their joint company RB Rail AS signed the region’s largest-ever contract — worth €2.14 billion (including VAT) — with the contractor COBELEC Rail Baltica for electrification works.
Currently, both electrification subsystem design and track design from the Lithuania–Poland border to Kaunas are underway. Construction in Lithuania is actively progressing along a 77-kilometer section between Kaunas and Panevėžys, with plans to extend the works to 114 kilometers in the near future.
Rail Baltica is the largest railway infrastructure project in the history of the Baltic States, co-funded by the European Union and the LTG Group. The project will deliver an electrified European-standard railway connecting Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia with Central and Western Europe, enhancing regional integration, civil and military mobility, and transport system resilience.