Latvia has a clear position and goal to move towards the creation of a unified multi-country institutionally integrated manager for the management of Rail Baltica railway route, while continuing the work on the design, construction and operation planning. Today's decision of the Cabinet of Ministers to transfer the Rail Baltica infrastructure management in Latvia at its initial stage to LLC Eiropas dzelzceļa līnijas is an important step towards this goal, emphasized Tālis Linkaits, Minister for Transport today at the press conference of the government.
Minister for Transport Tālis Linkaits: “Latvia aims at a jointly managed Rail Baltica infrastructure throughout the Baltic States. We have reached an agreement on this objective in various expert discussions. We are building not only an infrastructure of a new quality but also an infrastructure that is based on new principles and thinking, and we are developing it for next 50, even 100 years. We should be able to use it effectively, and, in our opinion, this could be best done through a unified approach to dealing with the issues of network exploitation.”
By transferring the future European track-gauge railway infrastructure to manager LLC Eiropas dzelzceļa līnijas, the state strengthens Latvia's capacity to manage the future infrastructure. The Minister explained that it will also be possible to negotiate with our neighbouring countries more effectively, as LLC Eiropas dzelzceļa līnijas become a hub for knowledge and technical competence.
The capital company of the Ministry of Transport LLC “Eiropas dzelzceļa līnijas” was founded in 2014 and implements Latvia’s activities of the Rail Baltica project. Over the years, the company has accumulated significant experience and expertise in the implementation of Rail Baltica and, in fact, is already carrying out the functions of the railway infrastructure manager. In the light of the operational objectives, experience, and expertise of LLC Eiropas dzezceļa līnijas, it is economically justified to develop the Rail Baltica infrastructure manager based on LLC Eiropas dzezsceļa līnijas rather than to establish a new institution or a capital company.
The development of the Rail Baltica infrastructure management model is a step-by-step process that will end when the railway infrastructure is built, tested and put into service.
Ilze Salna
Advisor to the Minister for Communication Affairs
Phone: 29404124, 67028255
Ilze.Salna@sam.gov.lv