Rail Baltica main line could be delayed to 2034
CROSS-BORDER: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have agreed that the Rail Baltica main line will miss its 2030 deadline and now aim for 2034, according to Latvia’s prime minister. They will push for at least EUR 10bn in EU funding.
In a joint declaration published on 22 September, the three governments commit to having the line operational within the EU’s next long-term budget, which runs from 2028 to 2034.
The same day, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs told journalists that the 2030 deadline was not realistic and that all three countries had agreed on 2034 for the first phase, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reported.
The EUR 10bn is the position the three governments will take into budget negotiations with the European Commission and the other member states. No allocation has been made.
The declaration also asks for bridge financing to keep construction going from 2026 and an EU co-financing rate of up to 85%.
ÖBB awards Siemens and Hitachi EUR 2.6bn digital signalling deal
AUSTRIA: ÖBB-Infrastruktur has awarded Siemens Mobility and Hitachi Rail framework contracts for digital interlockings worth around EUR 2.6bn in total. The first pilot is due to enter service in the fourth quarter of 2030.
According to Siemens’ own figures, reported by Reuters, around EUR 1.3bn goes to Siemens Mobility and the remainder to Hitachi Rail.
The frameworks run for at least ten years, according to ÖBB-Infrastruktur. Service agreements for maintenance, technical support and availability cover a 25-year system life.
The network has around 650 interlockings today. In the final configuration, the interlocking logic is to be concentrated in three data centres linked by fibre.
Nox Mobility opens sales for Hamburg–Munich night train
GERMANY: Nox Mobility has opened ticket sales for its first night train, a Hamburg–Munich service due to start on 23 March 2027. The Berlin-based start-up plans three departures a week in each direction, calling at Bremen and Augsburg.
Each passenger has their own “Nox Suite”, a seat that converts into a 2 m lie-flat space, and fares start at EUR 65 one way, according to the announcement.
The trains will be operated by TRI Train Rental, co-founder Thibault Constant has said. The announcement does not say whether infrastructure manager DB InfraGO has allocated paths for the service in the 2027 timetable.
Military rail agreement with Renfe cleared for five more years
SPAIN: The cabinet on 22 September authorised the defence ministry to sign a five-year agreement with state-owned Renfe to carry military freight and personnel by rail. Spending under the agreement, which runs from 2026 to 2030, is capped at EUR 110m.
The new agreement follows one valid from November 2022 to October 2026, which capped spending at EUR 102.81m including VAT, according to Spain’s Official State Gazette.
The arrangement takes the form of an agreement between public bodies and has not been put out to tender.
That’s The Rail Agenda for today. If you found it useful, forward it to a colleague.