Design completed for Rail Baltica Iecava Maintenance Facility in Latvia
The State Railway Technical Inspectorate has granted final approval for the design of the Rail Baltica Iecava Infrastructure Maintenance Facility, fulfilling all design conditions required for the three construction permits.
The Rail Baltica mainline section from Riga to the Lithuanian border has been prioritized, with construction expected to commence in the upcoming months.
The first construction activities outside Riga will begin at the site of the Iecava maintenance facility, which will initially serve as a construction logistics base for Rail Baltica mainline. Currently, deforestation work at the maintenance facility site is nearing completion, with the construction company contracted for the project in the design review and preparation phase. The client, in collaboration with construction contractor E.R.B. Rail JV PS, is actively working with stakeholders, utility holders, and state and municipal authorities to ensure the successful launch and execution of the infrastructure maintenance facility in Iecava.
The construction design was developed by a collaboration between Latvian and Italian companies—Sintagma Srl, an Italian engineering firm, and BRD Projekts SIA, a Latvian company—on behalf of Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas, the Rail Baltica national implementing body in Latvia.
The primary function of Rail Baltica service points in Latvia will be to maintain the rail network after large-scale construction is completed. However, the Iecava and Skulte maintenance facilities will also serve as construction campuses or logistics bases, providing storage for construction materials, equipment, and machinery, as well as facilitating necessary preparation and handling work. This facility will also be connected to the existing rail network to facilitate delivery of machinery and materials using railway from the ports.
These infrastructure maintenance facilities are crucial for ensuring the upkeep and efficient, safe operation of the Rail Baltica tracks. To maximize the longevity and benefits of the newly built infrastructure, two maintenance points are planned – one in Iecava and one in Skulte. When the Rail Baltica line is in operation, the facilities will be equipped with the necessary infrastructure, equipment, and machinery for storing, assembling, and renewing track materials, maintaining railway system components, and keeping maintenance rolling stock in working order. The Iecava Infrastructure Maintenance Facility is expected to cover around 16 hectares, with approximately 14 kilometers of 1435 mm gauge tracks planned, along with connections to the nearby 1520 mm gauge tracks.
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