Sweco, a European engineering and architecture consultancy, has been chosen as a part of a project alliance for the design and construction of the first section of the Estonian segment of Rail Baltica.

This EU-funded venture aims to establish a new railway connection from Tallinn, Estonia, through the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) to Poland.

The project is anticipated to continue until 2030.

Sweco president and CEO Åsa Bergman said: “I am delighted that Sweco has been selected to contribute to this important project, linking the Baltic nations to the rest of Europe. As a leading European consultancy in the field of transportation, with 6,000 experts in mobility and active travel, Sweco is involved in a range of client projects in the ongoing green transition of Europe’s transportation sector.

“Our cross-border team is fully committed to beginning work within the alliance once the procurement process is completed.” 

The estimated overall cost for Section 1, stretching from Tallinn Ülemiste to Pärnu, is approximately €394m ($428.5m). However, the specific order value for Sweco remains to be determined.

This vital infrastructure project will see the construction of 213km of new European-gauge (1,435mm) railway track in Estonia.

Funding for Rail Baltica is being sourced from a mix of EU funds, national contributions from the Baltic states, and private investments.

The EU, through its Connecting Europe Facility and other regional development programmes, provides a significant portion of this funding.

In January this year, Sweco signed an agreement to acquire Sipti Consulting, a company specialising in geotechnical and environmental design consulting.

Last December, Sweco secured contracts to provide services involving construction and expansion for two hospital projects in Germany.