RB Rail AS, the joint venture responsible for implementing the Rail Baltica global project, and TELT, the promoter of the Lyon–Turin railway line, have strengthened their ongoing cooperation by signing an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during TELT’s Strategic Stakeholder Days held on 27 October in Rome.
The renewed MoU builds on several years of collaboration between the two organisations, which have consistently exchanged best practices in health and safety, sustainability, community engagement, governance, and project management. Their partnership includes joint site visits and continued coordination on strategic issues related to the delivery of large-scale rail infrastructure.
“The collaboration between large-scale and complex infrastructure projects such as Lyon–Turin and Rail Baltica highlights the railway sector’s commitment to building a continental transport system for freight and passengers, capable of meeting the needs of European citizens and businesses with innovative and sustainable solutions,” said Maurizio Bufalini, General Director at TELT.
Strengthening cooperation on TEN-T megaprojects
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. Both 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.
By renewing their partnership, the two project promoters reaffirm their shared commitment to improving sustainability, operational readiness and safety standards across Europe’s future rail corridors. The collaboration also reflects the EU’s emphasis on knowledge sharing and coordinated project delivery for its major transport investments.
“Rail Baltica and TELT are flagship examples of European cooperation in action,” said Marko Kivila, Chairperson of the Management Board and CEO at RB Rail AS. “This renewed memorandum reinforces our shared commitments. Our projects are not only transforming regional mobility but also strengthening Europe’s strategic connectivity and resilience.”
Shared experience in complex infrastructure delivery
Since signing their first cooperation agreement in June 2022 during the Connecting Europe Days in Lyon, RB Rail AS and TELT have established a productive framework for collaboration. Over the past two years, their teams have exchanged expertise on project governance, procurement, sustainability reporting, stakeholder engagement and risk management.
Both organisations manage technically challenging and environmentally sensitive projects that span multiple jurisdictions and require alignment with EU standards and funding mechanisms. 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, ensuring that new infrastructure is designed for both efficiency and long-term resilience.
A united approach to EU infrastructure policy
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. It also reinforced the importance of maintaining long-term funding stability for projects that are vital to Europe’s economic competitiveness and climate transition.
The renewed MoU between RB Rail AS and TELT directly supports these goals, ensuring both organisations can continue contributing to policy dialogue and technical cooperation at the European level.
Driving sustainability and safety in European rail
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 equally placed sustainability and safety at the core of its strategy — from tunnel ventilation systems to digital workforce training and monitoring.
Through continued collaboration, both organisations aim to share methodologies and innovations that can be replicated across Europe’s transport sector. This includes data-driven monitoring systems, worker safety protocols, and community engagement frameworks designed to minimise disruption and enhance transparency throughout the construction process.
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