Tapa-Narva rail section to be electrified

A major renovation, including electrification, of the Tapa-Narva rail section will, proponents say, modernize Estonia's rail infrastructure, improving train speeds and enhancing travel efficiency for over 1.5 million passengers annually.
At present, trains running beyond Tapa and to Narva are diesel-powered.
The €100-million project will be completed by fall 2027.
The Tapa-Narva rail section is a little over 132 kilometers long, and while current top train speeds are 120 to 135 kilometers per hour, after the renovation work is done, this should rise to 160 kilometers per hour.
The project will straighten several curved sections and replace ballast and sleepers where necessary, in addition to the electrification, while a contact network, substations, and a new control system are also to be installed.
Arvo Smiltinš, Technical Director at Eesti Raudtee, which operates the rail track, said: "Electric trains are much more capable than diesel trains when it comes to accelerating from stops."
"This will actually reduce travel time and make rail passenger traffic significantly faster compared to road traffic," Smiltinš went on.
Project construction tenders are nearing completion, and work is set to start this spring.
Rail traffic closures will be implemented section by section, with the first closure planned to be between Tapa and Rakvere. Replacement buses will be laid on in these cases.
Construction will primarily take place during the summer months and at night, to minimize disruptions, Smiltinš added.
Elron, which operates the route between Tallinn and Narva, says it plans to keep disruptions to a minimum.
Margus Õun, Elron's traffic operations manager, said: "We will take passengers as far as the train can go. From that point, they will transfer to replacement transport. For example, passengers will take a bus from Tapa to Rakvere and then reboard the train at Rakvere to continue to Narva."
"Never before have repair works been undertaken on this scale simultaneously, making this an extremely challenging year," Õun noted.
Passengers will be notified of schedule changes well in advance to ensure minimal inconvenience, Elron has said.
Once completed, the electrified rail line and upgraded infrastructure will make train travel significantly faster and more competitive with road traffic, it is argued.
Five trains run daily between Tallinn and Narva.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte