Estonia rail news
All the latest Estonian rail news
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NewsEstonian rail freight operator prepares for privatisation
ESTONIA: A strategy to privatise national rail freight operator Operail was backed by the cabinet on February 15. The government had instructed Operail to prepare plans for a sale last autumn. ‘Rail transport is a volume business where small quantities and short journeys do not pay ...
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NewsLithuanian rail operator pilots ‘competitive green logistics’ in the three Baltic States
EUROPE: Lithuania’s LTG Cargo has operated a pilot freight train through Latvia to Valga, the first station in Estonia. On February 23 CEO Eglė Šimė said LTG Cargo plans to start offering ‘competitive green logistics services’ in the three countries in the near future, as a ...
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NewsOperail Chairman steps down
ESTONIA: Raul Toomsalu has resigned as Chair of the management board of Operail. A successor is to be appointed once the government confirms its future strategy for the state-owned freight operator. ‘My journey in the railway sector has been long and exciting’, Toomsalu said when he ...
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NewsElron EMU production underway
ESTONIA: Representatives from Elron visited the Škoda Group factory at Ostrava in the Czech Republic to see the assembly of the first of 16 electric multiple-units ordered by the passenger operator. ‘Bringing new trains on to the line from 2025 will gradually solve the shortage of ...
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NewsEstonian rail freight operator seeks new opportunities after war slashes traffic
ESTONIA: State-owned freight operator Operail is developing a comprehensive strategy to restore its profitability, having been hit by a 83% reduction in volumes because of the Russian war against Ukraine. The strategy is expected to be finalised by autumn, and the company says that once its ...
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NewsTallinn safety conference seeks to embed a culture of learning
EUROPE: The third edition of the EU Agency for Railways’ Safety Days conference will take place in Tallinn on September 20-22.
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NewsRail Baltica Academy to provide project insights for all
EUROPE: The Rail Baltica Academy is to hold its third series of online public lectures from May 22, aiming to provide a broad audience including industry professionals, policymakers, students and future users with insights gained from the cross-border standard gauge line project. The lecture programme is ...
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Metro Report InternationalConstruction of Tallinn old harbour tramway extension begins
ESTONIA: Construction work has started on the second phase of the Vanasadam tram extension through the old harbour area of Tallinn. The 2·5 km line linking Linnahall and Paberi stops on the existing network will create a loop through the harbour area and city centre. This ...
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NewsOperail completes disposal of wagon leasing fleet
ESTONIA: National freight operator Operail has completed its exit from the wagon leasing business, with the sale of the final 1 036 vehicles in February and March. More than 40 companies were invited to participate in the sale of the fleet, and 20 opted to make ...
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NewsBaltic States discuss Vilnius – Riga – Tallinn passenger service and gauge conversion
EUROPE: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are to explore options to launch a passenger service between their capitals using existing 1 520 mm gauge railways, ahead of the completion of the future Rail Baltica 1 435 mm gauge line. The lack of through services between the Baltic ...
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NewsRail Baltica regional station design contract signed
ESTONIA: National Rail Baltica project implementation body Rail Baltic Estonia has awarded Ardanuy Ingeneria a €368 000 contract to design seven stations for use by regional passenger services on the future 1 435 mm gauge line. The stations at Assaku, Luige, Saku and Kurtna in the ...
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NewsOperail sells more wagons from its lease fleet
ESTONIA: National freight operator Operail has sold a further 807 wagons from its lease fleet for €22·1m as part of a programme of divestment of non-core assets. More than 40 companies were invited to participate and 20 tenders were submitted. After what Operail said was a ...
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NewsElron orders 10 more EMUs
ESTONIA: Passenger operator Elron has awarded Škoda Group a firm order to supply a further 10 electric multiple-units. The order announced by the Czech manufacturer on January 24 has been placed using an option in a 2021 contract for initial six EMUs which are now being ...
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NewsAŽD offers Estonia an alternative to Russian equipment
ESTONIA: Infrastructure manager Eesti Raudtee has awarded AŽD Praha a contract to supply 800 point machines. The large order ‘is very important for AŽD and creates an interesting alternative to existing Russian-made products in the Baltic countries’, said Petr Žatecký, the Czech company’s Director of Foreign ...
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NewsOperail agrees sale of Finnish rail freight business
FINLAND: Nurminen Logistics has signed an agreement to purchase the Finnish activities of Operail, the Estonian state freight operator which is divesting its non-core activities. Subject to Finnish regulatory approval of €27·7m sale and purchase agreement announced on January 13, the entire share capital of Operail ...
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NewsOperail sells Ukrainian wagon fleet
UKRAINE: Estonian state-owned rail freight company Operail has sold 552 wagons located in Ukraine to a joint venture of local transport, infrastructure and agriculture investor Fortior Capital and Estonian wagon leasing company Teslar Trans for €6·51m Operail said the sale was ‘not related to the Russian ...
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News€353m Rail Baltica grant agreement signed
EUROPE: A grant agreement which will see the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility provide €353·9m for the Rail Baltica project has been signed by the European Climate, Infrastructure & Environment Executive Agency, ministries from the three countries and tri-national implementation agency RB Rail. This will fund the ...
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In depthViewpoint: Institutional fragmentation has undermined Rail Baltica
On paper Rail Baltica is a perfect match for the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility programme. But three issues need to be addressed, argues Kaspars Briškens, who recently stepped down as Head of Strategy & Development at the standard gauge railway project.
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NewsOperail to sell non-strategic assets
ESTONIA: Eight bidders have been shortlisted to participate in the potential sale of state rail freight group Operail’s locomotive assembly and repair, wagon leasing and Finnish operating businesses. The government has deemed these as non-strategic activities. The state began the partial privatisation process around 1½ years ...
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NewsAmber Train links the Baltic States to western Europe
EUROPE: A trial Amber Train service between the Baltic States left the Estonian port of Muuga on September 13, arriving the following day at Kaunas in Lithuanian where its load of semi-trailers was transferred to 1 435 mm gauge wagons for onward transport to destinations including ...