Construction starts to speed up Tapa–Narva railway line section

In the coming years, the Tapa–Narva section of the railway line will reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h after Eesti Raudtee and OÜ GoTrack signed a €17.5 million contract.
The construction work includes three railway mainline realignments in the sections between Tapa–Kadrina, Püssi–Kohtla, and Jõhvi–Oru, as well as a complete railway overhaul in the Soldina–Narva section, Eesti Raudtee said.
"To create the conditions for installing an overhead contact line, various track reconstruction works need to be carried out at the stations of Rakvere, Sonda, Kiviõli, Kohtla, Jõhvi, Soldina, and Narva. At these railway stations, tracks obstructing the installation of contact line masts will be dismantled, and selected station track structures will be replaced," said Imre Reipõld, head of construction services at AS Eesti Raudtee.
Work will be carried out on the tracks at Kadrina, Vaeküla, Kabala, Püssi, Oru, and Auvere stations. Additionally, a new 100-meter-long platform with a wider safety zone and a weatherproof waiting shelter will be built at Oru station. There will also be a new "park and ride" parking lot and a bus stop.
To implement the project, Eesti Raudtee has acquired an additional 18.2 hectares of land.
"The land acquisition process has been completed, and all land required for the realignments is now state-owned. For the largest realignment between Püssi and Kohtla, deforestation work has also been completed. All necessary construction permits have been issued, meaning all conditions are in place to begin construction work," Reipõld told Tuesday's "Aktuaalne kaamera."
"The modernization of the Tapa–Narva line is an exciting and technically demanding challenge for us as railway builders. Our work includes both the complete renovation of the railway and the reconstruction of stations. In addition, the work must be planned and carried out within tight time windows, sharing the work area with other construction companies that are simultaneously installing the contact line. We are ready to start work according to the agreed schedule to ensure that the project is completed with high quality and on time, allowing for faster, safer, and more environmentally friendly passenger transport by rail," said Kalvi Pukka, head of GoTrack.
The rails and sleepers removed from the mainline will be reused on station sidings, where worn-out track structures will be replaced with previously used reinforced concrete structures.
To ensure safety, fencing will be installed in densely populated areas to prevent unauthorized access to the tracks.
The main construction work is planned for 2025–2026. The project is financed by the European Union Cohesion Fund.
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Editor: Helen Wright