Vinci secures €885mn contract for Rail Baltica railway electrification

French group Vinci, through its subsidiary Cobra IS, will electrify 870 kilometres of rail tracks across the Baltic States as part of the Rail Baltica project, in a deal worth €885mn ($944mn).

Share:

Gain full professional access to energynews.pro from 4.90€/month.
Designed for decision-makers, with no long-term commitment.

Over 30,000 articles published since 2021.
150 new market analyses every week to decode global energy trends.

Monthly Digital PRO PASS

Immediate Access
4.90€/month*

No commitment – cancel anytime, activation in 2 minutes.

*Special launch offer: 1st month at the indicated price, then 14.90 €/month, no long-term commitment.

Annual Digital PRO Pass

Full Annual Access
99€/year*

To access all of energynews.pro without any limits

*Introductory annual price for year one, automatically renewed at 149.00 €/year from the second year.

Cobra IS, the energy services subsidiary of French group Vinci, has been awarded, in consortium with Spanish group Elecnor, a major contract under the Rail Baltica project. The total value of the contract stands at €1.77bn ($1.89bn), with Cobra IS’s share amounting to €885mn ($944mn).

A strategic railway project on a European scale

The Rail Baltica project aims to build a new 870-kilometre railway line crossing Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, designed to connect these countries to the broader European rail network. The electrification works entrusted to the consortium include the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the complete electrical system.

This initiative is currently described as the largest railway electrification project underway in Europe. It is intended to ensure interoperability between the Baltic networks and the rest of the continental system, facilitating cross-border passenger and freight transport.

Gradual implementation of works until 2030

The works will be carried out in two distinct phases. The first phase, valued at approximately €950mn ($1.01bn), will begin on October 1, 2025. It is scheduled for completion by 2030. The timeline for the second phase has not yet been specified by the partners.

This contract forms part of a broader strategy to position on high-value transnational infrastructure, particularly in regions aiming to rapidly modernise their transport systems. Cobra IS thereby strengthens its portfolio in major European railway projects.

Regional integration and interconnection challenges

European and Baltic political representatives present at the contract signing highlighted the strategic importance of the project for the region. Rail Baltica is designed to comply with European standards, both in terms of safety and efficiency, within a context of technical alignment with Western Europe.

The implementation of this project is also expected to contribute to greater regional logistical autonomy, particularly in the context of mounting pressure on the European Union’s transport infrastructure.

The blackout that hit the Iberian Peninsula in April originated from a series of unprecedented surges. The European report points to a sequence of technical failures but does not yet identify a primary cause.
The 600MW submarine interconnection between Tunisia and Italy enters its construction phase, marking a logistical and financial milestone for the Euro-Mediterranean electricity market.
Ukrenergo plans to raise electricity transmission tariffs by 20% in 2026 to cover technical costs and obligations tied to international loans.
The ASEAN Power Grid enters a strategic phase with renewed support from regional and international institutions to structure electricity trade among member states and secure the necessary investments.
The three countries will hold a meeting in October to unlock interconnector projects, following a major blackout that exposed the fragility of the Iberian Peninsula’s electricity integration.
Up to 55% of Europe’s electricity system remains vulnerable due to weak interconnection capacity, increasing the risk of widespread outages in several countries, according to a new report.
The European Commission allocates EUR76.3mn ($80.63mn) to three projects aiming to strengthen energy interconnections between Member States, focusing on onshore and offshore wind power and decarbonised district heating.
The SuedLink underground cable project, estimated at €10bn ($10.66bn), enters an active phase with the launch of two additional sections in Hesse and Lower Saxony.
The United States is funding a new high-voltage line to integrate Moldova into the European electricity market, following the cutoff of supplies from the separatist Transnistria region.
French group Nexans has begun installing a high-voltage submarine cable between Sardinia and Sicily, reaching an unprecedented depth of 2,150 metres as part of a project led by Italian grid operator Terna.
Danish manufacturer NKT has been chosen to supply a 525 kV high-voltage cable system for the Eastern Green Link 3 project connecting Scotland and England’s power grids.
British International Investment partners with Odyssey Energy Solutions to finance the expansion of interconnected mini-grids in Nigeria, under the World Bank-backed DARES programme.
Roraima, the last state not connected to Brazil’s national grid, has been linked through a publicly funded project launched over 14 years ago.
The European Commission launches a regulatory plan addressing eight major power grid blockages to reduce price disparities and strengthen energy security across the Union.
Amman confirms its grid readiness to supply Syria during off-peak hours, pending completion of Syrian infrastructure.
Spanish electricity companies call for urgent reinforcement of investments after finding more than 80% of the transmission grid is saturated.
EDF finalised a second €500mn ($535mn) tranche with the European Investment Bank to support interconnections and strengthen Enedis' electricity distribution network in 2025.
NatPower Marine and Wah Kwong create a joint venture to deploy a maritime electric charging network in over 30 Asian ports by 2030, without requiring initial public investment.
Hitachi Energy commits $457mn to build a transformer factory in Virginia, part of a $1bn plan to support electrical interconnection in the US amid rising demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Elia Group Chief Executive Officer Bernard Gustin has been appointed chairman of the new twelve-member supervisory board of 50Hertz, restructured under German co-determination law.