Passenger numbers of transport companies more or less unchanged in 2017
According to Statistics Estonia, in 2017 the number of passengers served by Estonian transport enterprises remained at the same level compared to the previous year. Carriage of goods decreased in road transport, but increased in rail transport.
In 2017 the number of passengers carried by Estonian transport enterprises amounted to 208.3 million, with the majority carried by businesses in the road transport sector. In road transport (incl. trams and trolley buses) there were approximately as many passengers carried as in 2016, but the number of passengers increased in the sea, rail, and air transport sectors. In 2017, the passenger traffic volume of transport enterprises amounted to 5.9 billion passenger-kilometers, and it increased by 9 percent compared to 2016.
Bus transport enterprises served 190.4 million passengers in 2017, and 87 percent of them, i.e. approximately 165.4 million passengers, used urban transport (incl. trams and trolleybuses). Urban transport was used almost as much as in 2016. The number of passengers was approximately 14.9 million on county lines (5 percent less compared to 2016), 4.1 million on domestic long-distance lines (down by 3 percent) and approximately 1.4 million on international lines (up by 12 percent). In 2017, the passenger traffic volume of road transport was approximately 2.9 billion passenger-kilometers, and it decreased in domestic traffic by 6 percent and increased in international bus transport by 7 percent.
In 2017, Estonian sea transport enterprises carried 9.4 million passengers, which is 3 percent more than in 2016. The number of passengers carried in domestic sea traffic was 2.5 million (up by 7 percent) and roughly 7 million (up by 2 percent) in international sea traffic. The passenger traffic volume of sea transport enterprises increased by 13 percent year on year, and was nearly 1.3 billion passenger-kilometers in 2017. International sea traffic contributed 98 percent of the passenger traffic volume.
Last year 7.4 million passengers were carried by rail, which is 7 percent more than in 2016. In domestic rail traffic, 7.3 million passengers were carried (up by 7 percent), and 107,400 passengers in international rail traffic (up by 4 percent). The passenger traffic volume of rail transport enterprises increased by 16 percent year on year, totalling 366.7 million passenger-kilometers in 2017.
In 2017, Estonian air transport enterprises carried 946,700 passengers. Compared to 2016, this is 66 percent more. 61 percent of the passengers were carried on regular flights. The passenger traffic volume of air transport enterprises increased by 38 percent year on year, and was approximately 1.3 billion passenger-kilometers.
According to preliminary estimates, in 2017, Estonian road freight vehicles and rail, sea and air transport enterprises carried a total of 55.2 million tonnes of goods, of which a half was carried by road and nearly a half by rail. The preliminary estimate for freight turnover in 2017 is nearly 8.6 billion tonne-kilometers.
According to preliminary estimates, Estonian road freight vehicles carried approximately 27.7 million tonnes of goods in 2017, which is a fifth less than in 2016. The volume of freight in tonnes fell mainly in the second half of the year. 21.9 million tonnes of goods were transported in domestic road traffic (down by 21 percent) and 5.8 million tonnes in international traffic (down by 17 percent). The freight turnover of road transport vehicles decreased by 13 percent compared to 2016, and totaled 5.9 billion tonne-kilometers.
In 2017, the volume of goods carried by rail was 7 percent larger than the year before, amounting to 27.3 million tonnes. 18.1 million tonnes of goods were transported in domestic rail traffic (up by 15 percent), with the majority contributed by oil shale transport. 9.2 million tonnes of goods were transported in international traffic (down by 5 percent compared to 2016). Year on year, freight turnover of rail transport decreased by 1 percent, and amounted to 2.3 billion tonne-kilometers. Of international rail freight transport, 7.6 million tonnes were goods in transit, imports amounted to 1.3 million tonnes and exports to 0.3 million tonnes. Carriage of goods in transit by rail decreased again by 5 percent year on year, mainly due to a decrease in the carriage of liquid refined petroleum products. Import goods were carried 7 percent less and export goods 23 percent more than in 2016.
Editor: Dario Cavegn
Source: Statistics Estonia