Major repairs along Tartu-Tapa-Narva railway to begin at end of 2018

Major repair work on the Tapa-Narva and Tapa-Tartu sections of railway to begin at the end of the year and last through 2020. The planned repairs will increase safety as well as allow for higher rail speeds.
The most recent major repairs along the Tapa-Narva section of the railway took place from 1998-2001.
According to Estonian Railways (EVR) spokesperson Monika Kaljusaar, however, the sections of railway to undergo repairs under the new public procurement were most recently renovated between 1980-1990.
Large-scale repairs were most recently done on the Tapa-Tartu line between 2015-2017; the work to begin late this year will be the second stage of this work, in the course of which a section between two stations will be repaired.
The railway components to be replaced no longer adhere to current speed and safety standards, Kaljusaar noted, which is why it makes sense to replace them all at once in the course of major repairs.
"As a result of the updates and renovations, we will create the conditions necessary for increasing speeds and ensure safety both on the tracks and at railway crossings, therefore passenger rail traffic will become faster, more comfortable and safer," she explained.
51 level crossings with barriers will be built along the Tapa-Tartu and Tapa-Narva routes as well.
EVR has announced a public procurement for the repair work. According to initial plans, repairs are expected to begin at the end of this year and be completed by 2020. The total cost of the project, which will be funded in part by the EU's Cohesion Fund, will be determined following the conclusion of the public procurement.
No exact schedule for the repair work has been determined yet, but according to Kaljusaar, the work will mean that, as during the previous round of repairs, some rail traffic will be served by replacement buses.
Editor: Aili Vahtla