 | |
 ElronStadler Flirt atKeila station | |
| Elron | |
| Company type | Government-owned corporation |
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1998 (as Elektriraudtee) October 2013 (as Elron) |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Rail transport |
| Website | www |
AS Eesti Liinirongid, operating asElron, is a government-owned passenger train operator inEstonia.
Prior to 2014, the company operated exclusively the electrifiedcommuter rail system inHarjumaa, and was known until October 2013 asElektriraudtee, i.e. "the Electrical Railway". On 1 January 2014, Elron took over all domestic passenger train services in Estonia fromEdelaraudtee.
The company was founded asElektriraudtee in 1998. While initially operating as a subsidiary ofEesti Raudtee, it was separated entirely within two years.[1]
In May 2013, the Estonian government declared that Elron would be the sole domestic passenger operator in Estonia, compelling the Estonian operatorEdelaraudtee to reorientate its operations away from the passenger sector.[2] This change was not unchallenged; a legal dispute between Edelaraudtee and the Estonian government broke out over compensation for lost revenue from the operator's forced withdrawal from passenger services.[3][4][5]
Throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, Elron collaborated closely with Edelaraudtee to examine and implement various opportunities to increase the operating speeds of certain lines, thus enabling Elron's services to run faster in some places.[6] In May 2020, Eesti Raudtee announced a tender to design and provide to electrify the entire Estonian rail network.[7] That same year, Elron openly spoke on its enthusiasm to electrify the cross-border line between Tallinn andSt Petersburg via a prospective future joint project between Russia and Estonia if favourable terms could be agreed.[8]
During the 2020s, Elron has multiple plans to expand and improve its network. Options have been studied, including the requisitioning of former goods lines, while a proposed reorganization could reduce the travel times betweenTallinn andTartu to beneath two hours.[9][10] The maximum service speed of Elron's trains is reportedly set to increase to 160 kilometers per hour.[11] By 2023, work was underway to reconnect the western Estonian town ofHaapsalu, which has not been reachable from the capital by rail since the 1990s, by 2027. A new terminal in Kristiine, west of Tallinn's city center, is also being planned, that shall be better interconnected with the rest of the city's public transport.[9]
In mid-2021, a new higher fare for passengers travelling withbicycles was introduced.[12] During January 2022, after two years without any price rises, Elron increased its regular fares by almost 9.5 percent, attributing this as a response to rising energy prices as well to finance infrastructure changes.[13] Two months later, the company announced thatUkrainian refugees would be able to travel on its trains for free.[14] In May 2022, it was announced that passenger numbers, which had sharply dipped in 2020 amid theCOVID-19 pandemic, had recovered.[15]
During late 2023, Elron ceased its Russian language announcements following complaints.[16] In September 2023, Elron's ticketing system was temporarily disrupted by adistributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks thought to have been the work of pro-Russia hackers.[17][18]
Elron operates inter-city trains fromTallinn'sBaltic Station on several lines: Tallinn–Tartu–Valga (connecting toPasažieru vilciens trains toRiga), 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 beforeRail Baltica is due to provide much faster service toPärnu.[19]
Tallinn's commuter rail network iselectrified, and it extends east and west from Baltic Station, the total length of the network being 132 km (82 mi). The eastbound line goes toAegviidu. The westbound line goes to the town ofKeila, where it divides into two branches continuing towards the cargo-harbour city ofPaldiski and inland toTurba. The Paldiski branch splits atKlooga, with a short spur going to the beach atKlooga-rand.
Work to upgrade track and the stations took place in the early 2010s.[20] To provide bettermobile data coverage when passing through rural areas, 25 new cell towers were installed byTelia alongside the Tallinn-Tartu line while5G apparatus were installed onboard Elron's trains during the early 2020s.[21]
Elron currently uses 38Stadler FLIRT electric and diesel-electric trains.
Delivery of the 12 three-car and 6 four-carEMU and 6 two-car, 8 three-car and 6 four-carDEMU[22] trains built byStadler Rail started in 2012; by June 2014 all trains had arrived in Estonia.[23][24] As of 2015, all of the old Soviet trains were retired.
In mid-2019, Elron received permission to purchase 4 newhybrid trains with an option to add 2 electric trains. The decision was due to frequently overcrowding on the operator's 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.[25]
During October 2020, Elron announced thatŠkoda Transportation had won the procurement for six new electric trains with an option to buy 10 more. In January 2023 this option was taken up.[26] Škoda produced 11 long-distance and 5 suburban dual system electric trains (Škoda 21Ev, InterPanter), which have a number of replaceable seats allowing space for bicycles in warm months, while providing more seating in colder months.[27] The cost of the initial six trains was €56.2 million, rising to €146.8 million with the 10 additional sets.[28] The first of these new sets was delivered to Estonia in April 2025, and entered service on Tallinn's suburban lines on 15 December 2025.[29] The long-distance sets were initially due to begin operating on the electrified Tallinn-Tartu route, however due to the lack of electrification past Tartu, they will initially also serve these short-distance routes.[28][30]
| Stock | Type | Introduced | Cars | Seats | Quantity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration | I class | II class | |||||
| Stadler FLIRT | EMU | 2013 | 3 | Commuter service | 0 | 188 | 12 |
| 4 | 0 | 262 | 6 | ||||
| DMU | 2014 | 2 | Inter-city service | 16 | 89 | 6 | |
| 3 | 24 | 137 | 8 | ||||
| 4 | 48 | 166 | 6 | ||||
| Škoda 21Ev | EMU | 2026 | 3 | Inter-city service | 32 | 204 | 6 + 5 ordered |
| 2025 | 3 | Commuter service | 0 | 263 | 0 + 5 ordered | ||
| Total | 44 + 10 ordered | ||||||
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Media related toElron at Wikimedia Commons
59°21′53″N24°38′00″E / 59.364829°N 24.633316°E /59.364829; 24.633316