With funding from the European Recovery Fund, European Railways in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport has signed a contract agreement with the construction consortium BERERIX for the construction works of the southern section of the Riga Central Station building. The construction company resumed work in April this year and is expected to complete major construction activities by August 31, 2026.
The funding from the Recovery Fund, combined with financing from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the Latvian state, will enable the completion of the construction of the southern part of the station building, improvement of the adjacent territory, and the upgrading of passenger platforms—so that the building can be used for safe railway passenger service by the summer of 2027. The Recovery Fund will cover work worth €104.5 million, which is approximately 75% of the total amount required for the full implementation of the southern section project. The funding will cover the production of the building’s facade and roof, enhancement of the railway platforms and construction of passenger shelters, installation of engineering networks and systems, including the construction of six elevators to access the platforms, and finishing of the first floor interior of the building.
The financing agreement stipulates that by August 31, 2026, the contractor must complete all major construction works, including the building's facade, roof, railway platform works, and key engineering networks and systems. By December 31, 2026, the finishing and interior works for the first floor of the passenger area must be completed. The next phase of works, funded by CEF 9, must be finished by March 31, 2027—this includes safety tests, inspections, improvements, and temporary commissioning of six 1520mm (i.e., existing gauge) railway tracks connected to the station building.
The most prominent features of the new station will be accessibility, convenience, and functionality. With improved infrastructure, passengers will benefit from comfortable shelters and platforms, making rail services more accessible and comfortable for all users, especially those with reduced mobility. The newly constructed part of the station will be accessible to everyone and will represent an important step in the development of Riga and Latvia as a whole, contributing to a modern and multimodal transport infrastructure.
It has also been reported that the collected information indicates: so far, the implementation of Rail Baltica in Latvia — through the construction of the international station in the center of Riga and at Riga Airport — is contributing to the national economy even before the railway is completed and put into operation. The project is creating a large number of new jobs, mostly employing local specialists, involving Latvian suppliers, and also providing an immediate boost to the Latvian economy.
