Elron (rail transit)
AS Eesti Liinirongid, operating as Elron, is a government-owned passenger train operator in Estonia.
 | |
| Government-owned corporation | |
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1998 (as Elektriraudtee) October 2013 (as Elron) |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Rail transport |
| Website | www |
The company was separated from Eesti Raudtee in 1998. Before 2014, the company operated exclusively the electrified commuter rail system in Harjumaa, and was known until October 2013 as Elektriraudtee, i.e. "the Electrical Railway". On January 1, 2014 Elron took over all domestic passenger train services in Estonia from Edelaraudtee.
Network
Inter-city rail
Elron operates inter-city trains from Tallinn's Balti jaam on several lines: Tallinn–Tartu–Valga (connecting to Pasažieru vilciens trains to Riga), Tallinn–Tartu–Koidula, Tallinn–Narva, and Tallinn–Viljandi.
Services on the Tallinn–Pärnu route ended in December 2018. The line required substantial upgrading and it was not felt worthwhile spending the money required for this around 8 years before Rail Baltica is due to provide a much faster service to Pärnu.[1]
Tallinn commuter rail
Tallinn's commuter rail network is electrified, and it extends east and west from Balti jaam, the total length of the network being 132 km. The eastbound line goes to Aegviidu. The westbound line goes to the town of Keila, where it divides into two branches continuing towards the cargo-harbour city of Paldiski and inland to Riisipere. The Paldiski branch splits at Klooga, with a short spur going to the beach at Klooga-rand.
In 2007 Elektriraudtee opened its first express service from Tallinn to Keila, which stops only at the busiest stations. In 2008 the express service from Tallinn to Aegviidu was opened.
Work to upgrade track and stations has been ongoing since 2010.[2]
Rolling stock
Elron currently uses Stadler FLIRT electric and diesel-electric trains.
Delivery of the 12 three-car and 6 four-car EMU and 6 two-car, 8 three-car and 6 four-car DEMU[3] trains built by Stadler Rail started in 2012; by June 2014 all trains have arrived in Estonia.[4][5] As of 2015, all of the old Soviet trains have been retired.
As of June 2019, Elron received permission to purchase 4 new hybrid trains with an option to add 2 electric trains. The decision was due to the current state (as of 2019) of overcrowding on the most popular routes, given an increase of passenger number of more than a third since the replacement of the rolling stock with the Stadler fleet in 2014 [6]
See also
- Rail transport in Estonia
- GoRail, a company operating Tallinn–Saint Petersburg and Tallinn–Moscow services
- Pasažieru vilciens, a company operating Valga–Riga services
- Public transport in Tallinn
- Tallinn–Tapa railway
References
- "Estonia to close railway line and wait for Rail Baltica".
- "Video about railways construction". Nõmme TV. 27 June 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08.
- est-train.ertas.eu/dr/dmutab.php?lng=eng
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2013-06-11.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Elektriraudtee orders Stadler Flirt trains". Railway Gazette International. 12 April 2010.
- ERR, BNS | (2019-06-13). "Estonian government gives Elron permission to buy new trains". ERR. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
