Rail Baltica design starts on Kaunas node in Lithuania

Rail Baltica Kaunas Node has moved into the design stage. LTG Infra has announced work on one of the most complex parts of the corridor between Poland and Latvia. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

The section combines a dense urban setting, existing infrastructure and the technical demands of a new high-speed line.

Why Rail Baltica Kaunas Node is complex?

Within the wider Rail Baltica project, Kaunas has strategic importance. It is where the 1,435 mm European gauge meets the existing 1,520 mm network used across the former Soviet area. Designers must find solutions that allow the two systems to work together. At the same time, the same location is also expected to become a future passenger and logistics hub once the high-speed line is completed.

LTG Infra describes the Kaunas junction as one of the most difficult stretches on the Poland–Latvia section. The two gauges meet there. The new railway must also be planned in a densely urbanized area. It has to be coordinated with roads, utility systems and other infrastructure already in place.

Plans for the area include the development of the Palemonas Intermodal Terminal, modernization of infrastructure at Palemonas Station and the construction of a bridge over the Kaunas Hydroelectric Power Plant, as Rail Baltica notes. Meanwhile, the project must comply with the standards of the European Union’s TEN-T network. That makes the Kaunas node a challenge not only from an engineering perspective, but also in logistics and planning.

LTG Infra expands high-speed rail design capacity

LTG Infra says it is also building local high-speed rail expertise. According to LTG Infra, the company created a Rail Baltica design division last year. It describes the unit as a center of excellence. The division is meant to complement the market and strengthen domestic design capacity as the project moves into more complex phases.

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Over the longer term, LTG Infra says the division could provide expertise beyond Lithuania. That could happen as it gains experience in modern infrastructure and high-speed rail design. In addition, the company says this could help support the wider expansion of the European gauge network in the region.

“This ensures rapid and continuous infrastructure development. It is particularly relevant in such urbanized areas, where fundamental decisions must be made first, and their design can be carried out with the support of partners in this field,” said Vytis Žalimas, CEO of LTG Infra.

He added that the division follows an approach already used in other European countries. Some design work will continue to be awarded through open tenders. Other tasks will be carried out with internal resources.

LTG Infra sees Kaunas as one of the key points on the future Rail Baltica line in Lithuania. According to Rail Baltica, once the high-speed line is completed, Kaunas International Station is expected to serve more daily passengers than Vilnius. It is also expected to handle around three times as many passengers as it does now.

Kaunas as a future passenger and logistics hub

“Once the high-speed line is built, Kaunas International Station will serve more passengers daily than Vilnius and approximately three times as many passengers as it does today, making Kaunas an important logistics hub,” said Mykolas Dumbrava, head of the Rail Baltica design division.

That projection underlines the role the company assigns to Kaunas in the future structure of Rail Baltica. It covers both passenger traffic and logistics flows. Also, LTG Infra says the new division has already attracted specialists with experience in high-speed rail design.

It has also encouraged professionals who were working in countries with established high-speed networks to return to Lithuania.

The company has also launched an educational initiative called Engineering Class. Through it, LTG Infra employees return to the schools they attended and present the Rail Baltica project as a possible career path. Separately, the stated goal is to make engineering careers more attractive. It is also to encourage young people’s interest in STEM fields at a time when fewer students are choosing technical and scientific study paths.

“The goal of the design division is to ensure the rapid implementation of projects, as well as the design of other railway lines and infrastructure projects needed in Lithuania, involving both foreign specialists and Lithuanians returning from abroad, as well as future engineers, whom we are already encouraging to pursue engineering studies and contribute to the economic growth of the Baltic region,” said Dumbrava.

Still, the start of design work for the Kaunas hub marks a new stage for Rail Baltica in Lithuania. The technical demands are higher there than on other sections. The project must balance the needs of a high-speed railway with the realities of a historic rail network, a dense urban setting and existing infrastructure.

Beyond Lithuania itself, Kaunas remains one of the main points on the corridor. It is intended to connect the Baltic states with Poland and, through Poland, with the rest of Europe’s standard-gauge rail network.

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