Estonia - General Information
Country Name
Estonia (Eesti)
National railway system
AS Eesti Raudtee (EVR) is the state-owned railway holding company.
Official Website
see Other Railways
Language
Estonian.
Currency
Euro.
UIC code
numeric 26; alpha EST
Timetable
Journey Planner
- Edelaraudtee timetables: www.edel.ee/home.
- Elektriraudtee timetables: http://en.elektriraudtee.ee/index.php.
Downloadable Timetable
- Edelaraudtee timetables: www.edel.ee/soiduplaanid/3/ and click on the desired route under the heading "Sõiduplaan".
- Elektriraudtee timetables: www.elektriraudtee.ee/reisijale/soiduplaan/printplan. Click on ".XLS vormingus sõiduplaan" to download a spreadsheet.
Printed Timetable
A timetable leaflet "rongide sõiduplaan", entirely in Estonian, is published by Edelaraudtee for its lines. It does not include the international trains to Russia. The timetable leaflet includes a map, showing also the Elektriraudtee suburban lines.
Engineering Information
None.
Bus Information
BussiReisid is the major service provider.
Maps
Quail Map Co. publishes a Railway Map of Estonia.
Ticketing
There are no known "runabout"-type tickets, but fares are cheap.
Gauge
"Russian" gauge (1520mm)
Electrification
3 kV dc
Rule of the road
Most lines are single track, but on double track sections right hand running applies.
Other Railways
- Edelaraudtee, a private company, owns the lines from Tallinn to Pärnu and Viljandi, over which it runs both freight and passenger trains. It also operates the passenger services from Tallinn to Narva, Orava, and Valga over lines belonging to EVR.
- Elektriraudtee, a state-owned company, operates electric commuter trains in Tallinn and the surrounding Harju County.
- GO Rail runs overnight trains between Tallinn and Moskva in partnership with the Russian Railways (RŽD).
Tourist Lines
Naissar Island: former military line (600 mm gauge)
Metro
None.
Trams
Talinn.
Recent and future changes
Latvian railways (LDz) reinstated three cross-border passenger services from Valka/Lugaži to Valga on 25 April 2008. GO Rail withdrew its Tallinn - St. Peterburg rail service in August(?) 2008.
On 14 January 2009 AS Eesti Raudtee became a holding company with two wholly-owned subsidiaries - AS EVR Infra for infrastructure management and AS EVR Cargo for freight traffic.
Following the completion of engineering work, passenger services between Tartu and Valga restarted on 1 January 2010.
The new Koidula station on the Russian border, serving the lines from both Tartu and Valga, opened to traffic on 23 May 2011. It replaced the former border facilities at Orava on the Tartu line and at Valga on the line from Riga LDZ. Opening of the new connection from the Orava line to Koidula resulted in the closure of part of the former line between Orava and Pechory-Pskovskie RZD. Tartu - Orava passenger services were extended to Koidula with effect from 1 September 2011. Services between Valga and Koidula may be introduced in 2014 if funding can be obtained.
Special Notes
None.
