The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) has signed an additional cross-border grant agreement involving funding for the Baltic Rail Link to Europe Facility (CEF). CINEA is a joint venture of RB Rail, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia, the Ministry of Transport of Latvia and the Ministry of Transport of Lithuania. The total budget of the agreement is 22.86 million US dollars (19.7 million euros). Among them, CEF will contribute up to 19.38 million US dollars (16.7 million euros) or 85% of the total eligible expenses. The Baltic governments will fund the remaining 15%.

The grant agreement covers Kaunas infrastructure maintenance facilities and railway infrastructure design activities in Lithuania's station area (Phase 1). It includes design modifications to promote the development of Riga Node operations in Latvia, as well as modifications to the detailed technical design of the Riga Central Station railway in accordance with Latvia's Rail Baltica operation plan. Other activities that form part of the agreement include planning support for Pärnu County in Estonia and research on the Cekule site, which will involve the identification of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the former military zone of Latvia.

The Baltic States’ IT architecture development strategy and the Baltic Railway’s joint ranging and geodetic reference network development research will receive funding. Agnis Driksna, Chairman of the Rail Baltica joint venture RB Rail Management Committee, said: “The additional funding to connect European facilities and the Baltic States not only reaffirms the firm commitment of the EU and Baltic partners to this unique cross-border project, but will also enable us to Complete the remaining planning phases and accelerate global project delivery." "It also includes several important studies, such as providing next-generation cost-benefit analysis and business plans for the Baltic Railway. Complete the activities that have already begun in the design of railway facilities and trunk lines, To achieve construction preparation is still the primary task among project partners." Key words: international engineering news, foreign engineering project information

During the EU's multi-year financial framework from 2014 to 2020, seven grants designed under the EU funding tool CEF have been signed for the construction of the Baltic Railway's conventional railway infrastructure. In addition to the previous grant agreement, Baltic Railway has so far received nearly 1.32 billion U.S. dollars (1.14 billion euros) from EU and national funds. In July 2021, RB Rail signed a contract with an international consortium to advise on the Rail Baltica project to promote long-term value creation, especially around its seven international railway stations.Editor/Baohongying