Rail Baltica turnouts production starts in Valčiūnai

Rail Baltica turnouts production has reached a symbolic launch point at the voestalpine Railway Systems site in Valčiūnai, Lithuania, with high-speed and standard turnouts to be produced for the future high-speed line.

The launch ceremony brought together representatives of the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications⁠, LTG Group, RB Rail AS, Rail Baltic Estonia, and voestalpine Railway Systems. The event marked an important milestone in the implementation of Rail Baltica, one of the largest railway infrastructure projects in Central and Eastern Europe.

National Rail Baltica implementing bodies in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, together with RB Rail AS, have signed framework agreements for the centralized supply of turnouts and related components⁠. The agreements cover equipment required for the long-term use of the infrastructure, with implementation depending on project requirements and available financing.

Roderikas Žiobakas, Lithuania’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications, said:

“The construction of the European-gauge railway line in Lithuania has reached an important milestone—the first rails have already been laid, and modern switch systems for high-speed trains will soon be installed on the most advanced section of Rail Baltica in the Jonava area. It is important to emphasize that this infrastructure will be manufactured here in Lithuania, which represents a significant investment in regional security and in faster, more efficient connections with Europe,”

Rail Baltica turnouts production and network use

Turnouts allow trains to move from one track to another and provide access to stations, terminals, and depots. Rails and sleepers form the basic railway structure, while turnouts enable network connectivity. For a high-speed route such as Rail Baltica, these are complex technical components with high requirements for safety, performance, and reliability.

Arūnas Rumskas, interim CEO of LTG Group, said:

“We are proud that the production of turnouts for Rail Baltica is beginning here in Lithuania, with the first deliveries scheduled as early as this fall for the construction of the railway superstructure. Our collaboration with voestalpine Railway Systems demonstrates how an international project can generate real value in the region,”

He also noted that investment in Rail Baltica supports not only modern rail infrastructure, but also job creation, economic cooperation, and business opportunities across the participating countries.

Centralized supply for the Rail Baltica corridor

The centralized procurement system will provide a unified technical solution across the full Rail Baltica corridor. This will support interoperability between infrastructure, signaling, and control systems, while also simplifying maintenance and reducing project complexity over the infrastructure life cycle.