Rail Baltica Estonia has selected GRK to build the new Ülemiste station area in Tallinn and its vicinity. The construction work will be done for the upcoming Rail Baltica railway and passenger terminal. The value of the project is approximately EUR 27 million. The construction work will begin in spring 2023, and the project will last until autumn 2026.
Rail Baltic Estonia OÜ signed an agreement with GRK Suomi Oy and GRK Eesti AS on 29 March 2023. The goal of the project is to rebuild the existing railway infrastructure of the Ülemiste railway station area.
During the project, GRK will dismantle approximately 16 kilometres of the existing railway tracks. In addition, over 8 kilometres of new railway tracks will be built. The project also includes the construction of track systems, such as catenaries and aspects, as well as water and sewer networks. Work related to the footbridge in Kantsi is also included in the project.
”We operate in Estonia in all areas of infrastructure construction, but rail construction is at the core of our growth now. We already participated in the Rail Baltica project last year when we constructed the concrete Urge green bridge in Rapla County. We are currently also constructing the Kehtna–Põlma viaduct. The Ülemiste terminal railway project is very important to Estonia’s traffic network as well as Rail Baltica, which is why we can be proud of the fact that GRK will install the first rails on the Rail Baltica route. We look forward to smooth cooperation with all partners participating in the project, such as Eesti Raudtee AS, the City of Tallinn and other partners, with the end goal of a high-quality final result,” says Priit Paabo, CEO of GRK Eesti AS.
From Estonia to Poland quickly by rail
Rail Baltica is a traffic project where, with support from the EU, a 1,000-kilometre-long railway connection is being built through the Baltic countries from Tallinn to Poland. According to the current plan, the Rail Baltica railway will be fully implemented with the pan-European track gauge of 1,435 mm.
”The construction of Rail Baltica is the biggest infrastructure project of this century, and the construction of which requires experienced operators. GRK’s long-term experience and the quality of the works so far ensure that the majority of the project has will be carried out during the next year and that they will be completed by 2026,” says Anvar Salomets, Chairman of the Executive Board of Rail Baltic Estonia.
GRK to also implement another significant track project in Estonia
Estonia is investing heavily in rail transport. In addition to the construction of a completely new Rail Baltica railway connection, the existing rail network will be modernized. In Estonia, the goal is to electrify most of the country’s rail network by the end of 2028.
Estonia’s railway network consists of a total track length of approximately 1,200 kilometres, of which only the tracks in the Tallinn area are electrified. Electrifying the railway lines is a part of Estonia’s green transition, because it will make it possible for the diesel locomotives to be replaced with more environmentally friendly ones.
In February 2022, through competitive tendering, Eesti Raudtee selected GRK Suomi Oy and GRK Eesti AS to work on a project in which approximately 150 kilometres of the main tracks from Aegviidu to Tartu will be electrified.
Further information:
GRK’s contracting partner is the country-specific project company of the Rail Baltica project.
The tasks of the RB Rail company include the development work, coordination and marketing of the project. The country specific project companies – Rail Baltica Estonia in Estonia, Rail Baltica Statyba in Lithuania, Eiropas Dzelzceļa Līnijas in Latvia – each own a third of RB Rail.