Rail Baltica has awarded a construction contract for one of the project’s most unique sections of railway in Estonia.
This 9.2-kilometre stretch of the main line, located between Soodevahe and Kangru in Rae Parish, will cost 70.8 million EUR to construct. Here, the railway will partially run through a trench, with tracks reaching depths of up to 10 meters below ground level.
A joint bid from OÜ Verston and OÜ Järelpinge Inseneribüroo secured the contract.
With the award of this contract, Anvar Salomets, Chairman of Rail Baltic Estonia, anticipates that at least one-third of the 213-kilometre main line in Estonia will be under construction by the end of the year. Contracts have now been signed for 65 kilometres of the line.
“Our goal is to provide a modern, safe, and environmentally friendly railway that serves both people and nature. Today, we moved 9.2 kilometres closer to achieving that goal.”
The newly contracted section will run through a trench, where natural limestone walls will line the track. The trench will span widths between 55 and 75 metres, with the deepest point being 10 metres.
This will be the only section of the entire Rail Baltica route with such a design. The unique section will also include the Rae wildlife overpass, which will provide safe passage for wildlife across the trench.
Additionally, the railway will pass under Põrguvälja Road, where Verston is already constructing technical systems and a viaduct under a previous contract, scheduled for completion in November 2024.
Further structures will include an embankment for Soodevahe station, a railway bridge over the Kurna stream, and the Uuesalu viaduct.
