European Railroad Discussion > A few from Estonia: Tallinn, Tartu and Valga.

I was in Estonia in September, travelled from Tallinn to Tartu to Valga.  

Attached are a few photos from my travels.  

All of Estonia's domestic passenger equipment is modern DMUs.  Much of the old equipment is in long term storage on the outskirts of the capital city of Tallinn.  The older equipment looked very classy, I was dissapointed that none of it was still in service.  

Location: Tallinn: Vaike station.  
https://www.google.com/maps/@59.4117296,24.7448813,448m/data=!3m1!1e3

Ted in OR



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/16 22:47 by gobbl3gook.

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A few detail shots from the out-of-service equipment

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There is one train a day from Tallinn to Moscow that uses the older equipment.  

2 photos of the train laying over in the Tallinn station for its 17:00-ish departure to Moscow.  

Inside the Tallinn station is an international rail travel ticket office, I inquired about a ticket from Moscow to Vladivostok, they quoted me 675 Euros for the 144 hour journey.  While I didn't have a visa to visit Russia (required) it was still pretty interesting to be standing in a ticket office where they could sell me a ticket to Vladivostok. (I hope to do this next year, but by local trains as much as possible).  

Location https://www.google.com/maps/@59.4392093,24.7346494,214m/data=!3m1!1e3

Ted in OR



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/16 23:40 by gobbl3gook.

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System maps were hard to find.  I was travelling with just an iPhone, and the already difficult-to-navigate web interfaces were even tricker on a phone.  

Whenever I saw an actual system map I'd be sure to take a photo of it for future reference.

1) At the main station in Tallinn they didn't have any system maps to give to passengers or tourists, but they did have a large decorative system map on the wall.  
2) On board the trains there was a stylized system map mounted in the cars.  
3) Similarly, I'd take a photo of timetables anywhere I saw them, since they're not necessarily available online.  

Edit -- I see the TO file size limitation makes the text in these images illegible. Unfortunate, since it's useful trip planning information that's not available digitally for anyone searching for rail info for Estonia.  Maybe I'll post them to a Flickr account...  

Ted in OR



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/16 00:08 by gobbl3gook.

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I was travelling by a combination of bicycle and train.  I bicycled from Tallinn to Kiltsi over two days.  On day 2 I stopped at the Aegviidu Station for lunch.  

1) Bicycling on the MOW road along the mainline from Tallinn to Tapa and Moscow (the adjacent public road to Aegviidu was closed, so I detoured on the ROW).  I saw the Moscow-Tallinn train blow through at 100+kmh.  (no photos).  
2) Highrailer coming through.  It was a Ford.  Kruschev would be appalled.  Freight building on the right has been repurposed as a residence.  It's in good repair, with a build date of 1870.  
3) A former freight building, All through the Baltic States there were disused railroad buildings that were still in original pre WW1 appearence.  Some in a state of good repair, some crumbling.  

Location https://www.google.com/maps/@59.2869816,25.614417,1396m/data=!3m1!1e3

Ted in OR

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Very interesting photos.  The quality of the equipment is especially amazing to me considering the country was once part of the USSR.  Thanks for posting the photos.
ALLEN

Tartu is a good sized city with a university.  I took an evening train from Kiltsi to Tartu, then a morning train from Tartu to the Valka/Valga on the Latvian border.  

1) DMU arriving at Tartu (all domestic service was DMUs or EMUs)
2) Passengers at Tartu.  Passenger service is well patronized.  
3) Water tower in Tartu-- steam-era brick water towers still stand in the Baltic States and Poland.  Unclear if they're still in use, but it seems likely, since the the brickwork is in a state of good repair.  Some were much more ornate.  

https://www.google.com/maps/@58.3744199,26.7069511,744m/data=!3m1!1e3

Ted in OR



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/16 23:43 by gobbl3gook.

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It was difficult to get information on rail connections between Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.  Turns out there is direct, though inconvenient, connectivity between Estonia and Latvia at Valga/Valka.  And no connectivity to Lithuania from Latvia.  And only a very recently inaugurated connection from Lithuania to Poland (operating only on weekends until track upgrades are complete).  

My travel, distancewise, was about 1/3 by bicycle and 2/3 by train.  So it wasn't essential that I have rail connections everywhere, but good rail connections made my bike/train leapfrogging planning more flexible.  

There was a 3 hour layover between then the local train from Tartu, Estonia arrived and the train to Riga, Latvia departed.  This alone is enough to discourage most travellers from going by train between the two countries, as it's probably only a 3 hour drive from Tallinn (capital of Estonia) to Riga (Capital of Latvia).  Rail travel is probably 4 hours of trains in Estonia, a 3 hour layover, and 2 hours in Latvia.  Which is unfortunate, since it's a very pretty ride.  If they cut the layover to 1 hr or 30 minutes they might be able to attract more tourists.  And unline many international borders, the local trains from both countries stop at the border station.  (Many have gaps of 2 or 20 kms, and the border must be crossed on foot, bus or taxi)

3 photos of Valga Estonia, which is adjacent to Valka, Latvia.  

1) Estonia rail DMU at the station
2) Latvia rail DMU at the station, waiting to depart to Riga.  
3) Valga was a busy interchange yard for tank cars.  

Location https://www.google.com/maps/@57.7764901,26.0479067,2543m/data=!3m1!1e3



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/16 00:11 by gobbl3gook.

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Stations were a mixed bag in Estonia.  Tallinn had a cold-war era station, small with no charm.  Small towns had no station at all.  But Valga had a first-rate station.  The exterior was being restored the interior had a wailting room that had been restored, but another locked room still in original condition.   A station attendent saw me taking photos through the door, and unlocked the room so I could go inside.  

Like many places in the Baltic States, schedule information was limited and often looked makeshift.  Pic 3 is the train schedule from Valga to Riga, tacked to the bulletin board outside the very small, but staffed, ticket window.  

1) Waiting room
2) Closed waiting room
3) Latvian railway timetable

I have other photos of these subjects, let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see, or detail shots of the photos I've posted.  

Next set, Latvia.  

Ted in OR

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A few more: 

1) Tram tracks on the north side of the old city of Tallinn.  Meter gauge, I think.  They have a very nice look to them, wandering through the lawn alongside a busy street.  With Soviet-era trams rattling along every 5 minutes or so.  
https://www.google.com/maps/@59.4438446,24.7477796,248m/data=!3m1!1e3
2) Video of trams at the Tondi station (tram/rail interchange) on the south side of Tallinn.  
https://www.google.com/maps/@59.4106112,24.7335528,437m/data=!3m1!1e3
2) Bicycle accomodation on the DMUs -- plenty of space for bicycle storage, and it got quite a bit of use.  

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Quite an adventure. Some great looking rolling stock out there, thanks for all the photos from this rarely photographed system. Chris UK.

Here's the "Tartu Rocket," Tallinn, Estonia, 8/19/05.  Gerry

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