RB Rail, developer of the high-speed (HSR) Rail Baltica line in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, has signed a service contract as so-called "shadow operator" with a joint venture (JV) of the international consulting subsidiaries of the Spanish state railway Renfe and Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Ineco. Ineco is the engineering office of the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Development (Mitma). The contract, worth €8 million, runs for six years with an option to extend until the start of operations on the 870 km HSR line, will provide railway engineering consultancy services and independent assessments on operations and maintenance, make recommendations for organisational, operational and business models for railway infrastructure and assets, provide information to maximise commercial opportunities along the line, and assist with specifications for HSR, regional, night and rail freight (SGV) services.
