Rail Baltica Design Tender for Northern Lithuania Section

Lithuania has initiated a new design tender for the Rail Baltica corridor covering the 54-kilometer section from Panevėžys to the Lithuanian–Latvian border. The procurement, announced by LTG Infra, advances the final planning step required to ensure continuous cross-border rail connectivity toward Latvia within the Rail Baltica program.

Completing the last unplanned cross-border link
The Panevėžys–Latvia section represents the final segment on Lithuania’s Rail Baltica main line that has not yet entered detailed design. Once commissioned, the designer will prepare technical documentation for a European-gauge railway intended to support uninterrupted international traffic on the Poland–Latvia corridor. The tender is open internationally, reflecting the project’s alignment with EU interoperability standards and cross-border rail requirements.

How the tender fits ongoing construction and design work
The new design call follows substantial progress on adjacent sections. In 2025, LTG Group signed construction contracts for a 114-kilometer stretch between Kaunas and Panevėžys, where preparatory and construction activities were underway, including superstructure works on the most advanced 9-kilometer subsection. In parallel, design activities continued on the nearly 100-kilometer section between the Lithuanian–Polish border and Kaunas, which is being modernized to European gauge.

Together, these projects indicate a phased delivery approach in which design and construction proceed in parallel across different segments of the corridor to maintain schedule continuity.




Strategic role within the Baltic transport network
The Panevėžys–Latvia link is designed to strengthen regional transport integration by extending the standard-gauge Rail Baltica route northward. The section is expected to improve connectivity with Western Europe, enhance logistical resilience, and support freight and passenger movement across the Baltic states. As part of the wider Rail Baltica initiative, the line is built to European technical standards to enable cross-border operations without gauge changes.

Timeline for design and associated procurements
According to LTG Group management, the objective is to select a designer and begin design work later in the year, allowing the final Lithuanian segment to progress in line with the rest of the corridor. In parallel, additional design tenders are being conducted for infrastructure maintenance depots in Panevėžys and Kaunas, as well as for regional stations in Jonava and Gustonys. Further public procurements are planned for the design of individual point-type railway objects.

These coordinated tenders reflect an integrated infrastructure planning approach, aligning mainline design, operational facilities, and regional stations to support long-term operation of the Rail Baltica corridor through Lithuania.

www.railbaltica.com