The Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture has circulated a draft proposal seeking to terminate the special planning process for determining the location of the Tallinn ring railway, which would connect Muuga and Paldiski. The primary reasons cited for the termination are budget constraints and funding cuts.

Feedback on the proposal was expected from, among others, the Harju County Association of Municipalities (HOL), which initially applied for the special planning process, as well as its partners, by this week.

Kadi-Kaisa Kaljuveer, head of spatial planning at the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, told ERR that work had thus far commenced on the preparation of initial guidelines for the special planning and the strategic environmental impact assessment.

When HOL submitted the application for the special planning process in 2021, the cost was estimated at €3.4 million. "Since 2021, the cost of developing state-level plans has nearly doubled," Kaljuveer noted.

Under current legislation, the decision to terminate or continue the special planning process lies with the government. Kaljuveer added that even if the government decides to end the special planning process, it can be reinitiated in the future if necessary.

Local governments opposed

The municipalities and cities of Harju County, which initially requested the special planning process, are understandably opposed to halting it. In their response to the ministry, finalized during the HOL board meeting on Wednesday evening, they emphasized that the development of the Tallinn ring railway remains critical and aligns with both national and regional development goals.

The association's position states that future transportation needs should not be sacrificed under the pretext of short-term and speculative cost savings.

The association highlighted that the ring railway would provide fast public transport options between workplaces and residences, serve as an alternative to the increasing reliance on cars and enable a reorganization of passenger transport in both directions around Tallinn. Additionally, the railway would help redirect freight traffic away from Tallinn's city center and the Ülemiste passenger terminal.

The key issue, however, is the potential route of the railway. Regardless of when construction might begin, land for the railway needs to be reserved through current planning processes. The special planning would establish the precise route of the ring railway, allowing Harju County municipalities to incorporate it into their general plans. Without this, the land needed for the railway might be developed for other purposes. Conversely, determining the exact route would also free up other reserved land currently held for the railway.

"Currently, the county-level plan has reserved corridor widths of up to 500 meters, running through economically valuable areas. By finalizing the plan, significant tracts of valuable land could be released for economic activity," HOL noted.

Coalition split over whether to terminate the plan

HOL, which includes Tallinn among its members, is not alone in its stance. Minister of Infrastructure Vladimir Svet (SDE) emphasized in a letter to Minister of Economic Affairs and Industry Erkki Kallo (Reform), who is expected to present the draft proposal to the government, that the Tallinn ring railway is critical for the long-term planning of rail infrastructure. Consequently, the government should ensure the possibility of reconsidering the special planning process in the future.

Svet noted that the idea of the ring railway has not lost its significance over the years, as it would diversify and enhance the rail network.

"The Tallinn ring railway would expand and diversify mobility options for Harju County residents. The prospect of regional rail traffic on the route Ülemiste-Paldiski/Turba (Haapsalu)-Ülemiste would enable fast, convenient and environmentally sustainable daily commuting, while also improving public transport access to Tallinn Airport, the Rail Baltica Ülemiste passenger terminal and other key transport hubs," Svet stated.

Equally important, he added, is the potential to reroute freight train traffic away from Tallinn and repurpose the Ülemiste and Kopli freight yard areas for other uses.

"Therefore, I consider it necessary to continue the national special planning and environmental impact assessment for the Tallinn ring railway," Svet emphasized.

Similarly, Toomas Uibo, chairman of the Eesti 200 parliamentary group, expressed in an opinion piece that the special planning process should continue. He stressed the importance of identifying the most optimal and practical location for the railway, including local stops, to preserve the possibility of constructing the railway in the future.

"The ministry cites budget constraints and cost-cutting requirements as reasons for terminating the special planning process. However, projects of this magnitude require, above all, political will. Once the will is established, the necessary funding can always be found. Eesti 200 will do everything to persuade coalition partners of the necessity of the ring railway," Uibo wrote.

He further highlighted that "constructing a bypass railway would provide a significant development boost for the ports of Paldiski and Muuga. Such an initiative would offer new growth potential and security for our businesses, including the ports, ensuring that freight train traffic is removed from Tallinn's city center. We cannot imagine a scenario where hazardous cargo, even if infrequent, would navigate Kopli or pass through the future Rail Baltica main terminal," he added.

In early 2023, the government initiated a special planning process for the Tallinn ring railway, aiming to determine within six years the feasibility of constructing a railway connecting Muuga and Paldiski, bypassing Tallinn from the south.

The special planning process was intended to clarify whether the railway would pass north or south of Lake Ülemiste – determining if part of the railway would remain within Tallinn's territory. Tallinn has strongly opposed a northern route, arguing that it would still route freight traffic through the city, interfere with Rail Baltica terminal operations and disrupt several residential areas in Tallinn.

However, by late 2022, doubts arose about the feasibility of constructing the ring railway – and by extension, the value of the special planning process – due to a sharp decline in rail freight volumes. Analyses showed that over 15 years, rail freight volumes had plummeted from 45 million tons to just six million tons.

At the same time, passenger rail traffic has grown significantly. While the initial concept for the ring railway envisioned it as a freight-only line, the need for passenger services has become increasingly evident over the years.

"Fast, convenient passenger rail connections with frequent schedules are a credible alternative to private cars and, thus, to increasing car dependency. This is evidenced by the fact that, since the introduction of new passenger trains in 2014, the number of train passengers in Estonia has doubled," Uibo noted.

When the Harju County Association of Municipalities (HOL) requested the special planning process, the proposed timeline envisioned approval of the special plan by the end of 2023. Design and engineering would take place between 2024 and 2027, with construction beginning in 2027 and lasting until 2030. Under this schedule, trains were expected to begin running on the railway by early 2032.

Looking ahead, the construction of the ring railway could also enable future connections to rail lines extending from Tallinn to Haapsalu and Rohuküla.

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