NEW “RAIL BALTICA" HIGH-SPEED LINE"
FS Engineering is strengthening its presence in Northern Europe by participating in one of the continent’s major infrastructure projects, which is strategic for the development of sustainable mobility, territorial cohesion, and European integration.
Rail Baltica is a landmark initiative promoted by Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia to build a new high-speed railway line that is fully interoperable and integrated into the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The project also involves Poland—with a prospective future link to Finland—and entails the construction of approximately 870 km of double-track, electrified infrastructure equipped with the ERTMS system, engineered for speeds of up to 249 km/h for passenger services and 120 km/h for freight trains.
The project aims to overcome the current structural bottlenecks within the Baltic railway networks, which are characterised by a broad track gauge that is incompatible with European standards, and to strengthen the strategic North Sea–Baltic Sea corridor. The route will link Tallinn to the Lithuanian–Polish border, passing through strategic hubs such as Pärnu, Riga – including its international airport – and Kaunas, with a dedicated branch line to Vilnius and a future undersea extension to Helsinki.
The project represents the most significant railway development in the Baltic region in recent decades and will contribute significantly to economic growth, urban development, and job creation. It will also drive a modal shift from road to rail, delivering tangible benefits in terms of reduced emissions, energy efficiency, safety, and service quality.
The role of FS Engineering
FS Engineering is providing Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services for the Energy (ENE) and Command, Control and Signalling (CCS) subsystems, operating in collaboration with leading international partners. The integrated systems approach adopted ensures the highest standards of interoperability, reliability, and operational safety, in line with European best practice and the core objectives of the TEN-T network.
The project scope encompasses comprehensive design reviews, technical coordination, and the management of interfaces between the various stakeholders and subsystems. The company contributes to the definition of the traction electrification system through comparative studies, traction simulations, and the design of substations and parallel connection points along the entire route alignment, alongside coordination with national grid transmission networks and existing legacy infrastructure. Concurrently, it ensures full integration with the command and control architecture.
FS Engineering also carries out supervision and digital verification of information, with specific focus on BIM, GIS, and Asset Information Management (AIM) processes, ensuring quality, consistency, and the correct exchange of information between all delivery parties throughout the entire lifecycle of the infrastructure.
Focus on the Latvian section
In July 2023, FS Engineering was awarded the contract to deliver engineering and construction management services for the Latvian section of the line, acting on behalf of the national implementing body Rail Baltica LLC – Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas (EDZL). The project, comprising approximately 230 km of double-track line, represents one of the region’s most significant capital railway projects and a major milestone in the Company’s international growth strategy.
Acting in the capacity of FIDIC Engineer, FS Engineering provides comprehensive project management and technical consultancy across the entire length of the route, with a primary focus on design review and construction supervision.
Project progress
RB CCS
Operating within an international consortium alongside the French companies Systra and Egis, FS Engineering is delivering the engineering services contract for the preparation, procurement, and supervision of the pan-Baltic Rail Baltica CCS subsystem deployment.
Work on the preparatory phase commenced in 2022, and all core tasks involving the development of the Concept Design, Technical Specifications, and the Design & Build (D&B) procurement documentation have been successfully completed. The final stage of this phase, which involves providing technical assistance during the competitive tender process to select the Design & Build CCS Contractor for the signalling and telecommunications systems, is currently underway.
RB ENE
Operating within an international consortium alongside DB E&C (Germany) and Idom (Spain), FS Engineering is delivering the engineering services contract for the preparation, procurement, and supervision of the pan-Baltic Rail Baltica traction energy (ENE) subsystem deployment.
The preparatory phase activities—encompassing the development of the Concept Design, Technical Specifications, and Design & Build (D&B) procurement documentation, alongside technical assistance during the competitive tender process—commenced in 2021 and were successfully completed in December 2024. In 2025, coinciding with the contract award and mobilization of the principal D&B contractor, COBELEC, the project transitioned into the Works Implementation Phase. FS Engineering's scope under this phase primarily focuses on Design Supervision duties, which are currently underway.
Completion of the first core phase is programmed for the fourth quarter of 2030, with the entire infrastructure asset expected to enter full operational service by 2035. This timeline will deliver a decisive contribution to reinforcing the wider European transport network and advancing a modern, safe, and sustainable rail transport ecosystem.
Focus: Latvia – Works Supervision
Construction supervision on the Latvian section commenced in January 2024, with the first works agreement signed on 29 November 2024. Physical works officially began in April 2025 on the Iecava BP1 section, with preliminary work started on an additional six sections and more expected soon. For more information, visit the official RB Rail website.
