Rail Baltica & Lyon-Turin: Rail Innovation, EU Infrastructure Boost

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Introduction

RB Rail AS and TELT, the promoters of the Rail Baltica and Lyon–Turin railway line projects respectively, have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during TELT’s Strategic Stakeholder Days held on 27 October in Rome to strengthen their ongoing cooperation.

Project Collaboration and Strategic Goals

The renewed MoU builds on several years of collaboration between RB Rail AS and TELT. The partnership includes joint site visits and continued coordination on strategic issues related to the delivery of large-scale rail infrastructure. The Lyon–Turin railway and Rail Baltica are two of the EU’s flagship Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) projects, positioned on the Mediterranean Corridor and the North Sea–Baltic and Baltic–Black–Aegean Corridors, respectively. The projects are designed to enhance cross-border connectivity, reduce travel times, and promote a modal shift from road to rail in line with the European Green Deal and EU climate objectives.

Key Areas of Cooperation

Since signing their first cooperation agreement in June 2022 during the Connecting Europe Days in Lyon, RB Rail AS and TELT have exchanged expertise on project governance, procurement, sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement, and risk management. The renewed MoU expands cooperation to include environmental sustainability, workplace safety, and operational readiness for large-scale multimodal infrastructure. The projects also share a focus on integrating digital innovation and predictive safety systems.

Advocacy for Infrastructure Funding

Earlier in 2025, Rail Baltica and TELT — together with the Brenner Base Tunnel (BBT) and Canal Seine–Nord Europe — issued a joint statement urging the European Commission, European Parliament, and Member States to maintain a strong, centrally managed approach to infrastructure funding under the upcoming Connecting Europe Facility III (CEF III). This collective appeal reflected the shared view among Europe’s major transport infrastructure projects that a coordinated EU-level investment strategy is crucial for delivering the TEN-T network by 2040. The renewed MoU between RB Rail AS and TELT directly supports these goals.

Sustainability and Operational Readiness

Both Rail Baltica and TELT are committed to advancing sustainability and workplace safety as central components of project delivery. Their cooperation aims to establish benchmarks for low-carbon construction, circular economy practices, and biodiversity protection within large-scale infrastructure works. Rail Baltica, which will connect Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to the European standard-gauge network, is one of the most environmentally ambitious infrastructure programmes in Northern Europe. TELT, responsible for constructing the 57.5-kilometre cross-border Lyon–Turin base tunnel, has placed sustainability and safety at the core of its strategy. Through continued collaboration, both organisations aim to share methodologies and innovations.

Conclusion

The renewed MoU between RB Rail AS and TELT supports their shared goals of improving sustainability, operational readiness, and safety standards across Europe’s future rail corridors. The cooperation aims to share methodologies and innovations to be replicated across Europe’s transport sector.

Company Summary

RB Rail AS: The joint venture responsible for implementing the Rail Baltica global project.

TELT: The promoter of the Lyon–Turin railway line.

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