Enthusiast's Guide to Travelling the Railways of Europe

ESTONIA (Eesti)

General Information

Last update for this page: 16 January 2010.

National railway system: AS Eesti Raudtee (EVR) is the state-owned railway holding company.

Official Website: see Other Railways links.

Language: Estonian

Currency: Kroon (Kr); 100 senti = 1 Kr

UIC code: numeric 26; alpha EST

Timetable:

Journey Planner:	Edelaraudtee timetables: www.edel.ee/?CatID=189. Elektriraudtee timetables: www.elektriraudtee.ee/?233 then select Sõiduplaan (Microsoft Excel file).
Downloadable Timetable:	None.
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.

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.

Corridor Trains: None.

Special Notes: There are no known "runabout"-type tickets, but fares are cheap.

Maps: Quail Map Co. publishes a Railway Map of Estonia.

Last complete update 25 October 2008. Subsequent amendments: "Official Website" and "Maps" added, "UIC Code" amended (14 December 2008 & 6 January 2009); "National railway system", "Rule of the road", "Recent and future changes" amended and GO Rail link added (8 February 2009); generally amended (1 August 2009); "Recent and future changes" amended (25 October 2009); "Recent and future changes" amended (16 January 2010).

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