Published on 08-01-2026 at 10:20 The Kaunas Railway bridge in Lithuania LTG Link A Lithuanian court has again prevented LTG Infra from signing a contract worth more than €100 million with Fima and Czech company AŽD Praha for signalling modernisation on the Kaunas–Polish border section of Rail Baltica. The signing ban, sought by rivals Alstom Baltics and Belam-Riga, is delaying the start of works that the Lithuanian infra manager says must be completed by the end of 2027. On 6 January, the Vilnius Regional Court rejected LTG Infra’s request to lift interim protective measures that have been in force since September last year. Those measures prohibit the infrastructure manager, part of the state-owned Lithuanian Railways (LTG) group, from signing the contract while a legal dispute over the tender continues. The interim measures were imposed at the request of Alstom Baltics and Latvian systems integrator Belam-Riga. In October, Lithuania’s Court of Appeal upheld the decision to keep the ban in place. Explaining the latest ruling, court representative Lina Nemeikaitė told the Baltic News Service: “The defendant (LTG Infra – BNS) did not substantiate that the circumstances have changed, due to which the basis for applying interim measures has disappeared or their application no longer meets the requirements of the principles of proportionality or cost-effectiveness.” The court also stated that the temporary ban on signing the contract would help ensure transparent procurement procedures, but the decision may still be appealed. Tender dispute The dispute relates to a tender for signalling modernisation on the rail section between Kaunas and the Polish border, part of the European standard-gauge Rail Baltica corridor. LTG Infra selected Fima and AŽD Praha as the winners of the competition in July. Alstom Baltics and Belam-Riga are asking the court to declare unlawful and annul the decision by Lithuanian Railways and LTG Infra to reject their bid. They also challenged a separate decision taken last September not to disclose the offer submitted by AŽD and Fima to competing bidders, and they are seeking to have the July decision recognising Fima and AŽD as the winners declared unlawful. The Vilnius Regional Court merged both cases in November last year. A decision is due to be announced on 14 January. Alstom and the Latvian company have said their proposal was rejected after two years of negotiations due to what they described as a lack of a clear legal basis. LTG Infra told the court the scheme is part of the government’s strategic project portfolio: the first phase is planned by 2030 and includes upgrading the already installed European standard-gauge line from Kaunas to the Polish border with signalling systems that must be completed by the end of 2027. According to Fima and AŽD, the continued ban on signing and executing the contract may result in the project not being delivered on time. On-site at Rail Baltica: an exclusive look into Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania’s construction strategies More Rail Baltica contracts The almost 100-kilometre section from Kaunas (Jiesia) to the Polish border was built in 2015. Its second section will be designed by Deutsche Bahn Engineering & Consulting. In August, that company, together with the Rail Baltica joint venture RB Rail and LTG Infra, signed a €38.3 million (excluding VAT) contract for design work. Separately, the railway companies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have signed a €1.77 billion (excluding VAT) contract with the Spanish consortium CobeIec Rail Baltica for the electrification of Rail Baltica. In other Rail Baltica news, LTG Infra has announced an open international tender for design services for the section from Panevėžys to the Lithuanian–Latvian border. The European-gauge railway line from Panevėžys to the Latvian border will significantly contribute to strengthening regional transport links, improving our connectivity with Western Europe, enhancing strategic resilience and fostering economic cooperation,” said Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Roderikas Žiobakas. Read more:
