Rail Baltica is a railway infrastructure megaproject that spans across several countries. The depth of skills and expertise required to successfully execute a greenfield project of this caliber is extensive and would not be possible without our diverse team of professionals.
Welcome back to our series, “Rail Baltica: The People Behind the Vision,” where we introduce you to the members of the Rail Baltica global project team. These individuals are the driving force advancing the Rail Baltica project with their professionalism, dedication, and passion for this project.
Antanas Šnirpūnas, ENE Technical Lead, RB Rail AS
This week, we are pleased to introduce Antanas Šnirpūnas, Railway Systems Engineer at RB Rail AS. With extensive experience in rail systems and a hands-on role in the development of Rail Baltica since 2017, Antanas brings deep technical knowledge and a strategic perspective shaped by earlier involvement at Lithuanian Railways. He has contributed across multiple phases of the project, from procurement and power supply engineering to leading system assurance and interoperability functions. A strong believer in the importance of communication, trust and collaboration, he views knowledge transfer as one of the key challenges and opportunities of this mega project. Inspired by the potential of high-speed rail to transform the region, he remains committed to building a future-focused and well-integrated railway system for the Baltics.
When did you join the Rail Baltica project and what inspired you to become a part of the team?
I joined RB Rail in 2017, however I was indirectly involved in the Rail Baltica project already several years before, while working at Lithuanian Railways. I was inspired by the unique opportunity to be part of the Project and to be able to contribute.
How has your role evolved since you first joined the Rail Baltica project, and what have you learned along the way?
After joining RB Rail, my role was evolving together with the development of the project, i.e. first I started as a railway expert for procurement and implementation of various studies, and then gradually moved to the field of railway systems deployment as a railway system engineer. More precisely – power supply for railways. During the course of my career in the project I also had unforgettable opportunities to take a lead in challenging management positions, such as RB Rail Lithuanian branch and System Assurance and Interoperability department.
Growing through all positions within the Project I have learned the following key things: trust, patience and communication. Trust – to rely 100% on each other in order to keep momentum of the progress, patience – to listen and understand each other’s needs, and communication – to bring different opinions together in order to achieve the common goal.
What does the Rail Baltica project mean to you?
I value this unique opportunity to take part in the project and go through all phases of its development while observing how rapidly it is evolving and the progress achieved so far. It is not only the Project evolving itself, but also the environment around it. Not only the physical environment, when we talk about ongoing massive construction works, but also engineering, as well as project control environment.
For instance, there was a steep evolution of understanding the need of value engineering, design guidelines, system engineering, system assurance processes, not to mention project control subjects, such as planning and scheduling, cost management, change management, reporting etc. Thanks to the RB Rail team, who were able to share experience from similar projects, the importance of all these subjects currently is fully understood within the Baltics.
What do you believe is the most challenging aspect of this mega project?
I think communication is key. We are not building something unique – we are bringing practical knowledge on how to build and operate a high-speed railway in the Baltics. The main challenge is delivering this knowledge to the key stakeholders.
What advice would you give to a newcomer joining the Rail Baltica project team?
Communication is the key – there are great colleagues who are ready to support you during the first steps in the Project so that you are able to give back much more.
What specific contribution or skill do you believe you bring to the Rail Baltica project team that sets you apart from others?
I can express the point of view of my colleagues surrounding me, that I always have a positive attitude, whatever challenges we are facing.
Who inspired you during your career and why?
In some way the movie Cast Away (with Tom Hanks) is still inspiring me to keep going no matter what – “The sun will rise anyway, let’s see what it will bring tomorrow.”