Transport in Estonia

= Railways =

*total: 1,018 km common carrier lines only; does not include dedicated industrial lines
*broad gauge: 1,018 km 1520mm (1524mm) gauge (132 km electrified) (1995)

Railway links with adjacent countries

* Latvia - yes - same 1524mm gauge
* Russia - yes - same 1524mm gauge

Light rail

There has been a growing tram network in Tallinn, Estonia since 1888, when traffic was started by horse-powered trams. The first line was electrified on October 28, 1925. The first electric trams were built by Dvigatel, Ltd., in Tallinn before World War II and for some years after that, the last one in 1954. In the 1920s and 1930s gas-powered trams were also used. Since 1955 to 1988 German-built trams were used. In total, there were 20 LOWA T54-B54 trams (in use from February 1955 to March 1977), 11 Gotha T57-B57 (in use from January 1958 to June 1978), 5 Gotha T59E-B59E (in use from June 1960 to February 1980), 14 Gotha T2-62 and B2-62 (in use from 1962 to 1981) and 50 Gotha G4 trams (in use from January 1965 to October 1988) trams. The first Czechoslovakian-built ČKD Tatra T4SU arrived in 1973. The T4SU trams were in use from May 1973 to September 2005 and there were 60 of them. The first KT4SU arrived in Tallinn in 1981 and was first in use on March 10, 1981. In 2007, there are 56 KT4SU, 12 KTNF6 (rebuilt KT4SUs, 10 local, one from Gera and one from Erfurt) and 23 KT4D (12 from Gera, 6 from Cottbus, 1 from Frankfurt (Oder) and 5 from Erfurt) in use. As of 2007, there are four lines: 1 (Kopli-Kadriorg), 2 (Kopli-Ülemiste), 3 (Tondi-Kadriorg) and 4 (Tondi-Ülemiste). There have also been lines 5 (Kopli-Vana-Lõuna, shut down in 2004 because of small usage) and 6 (Kopli-Tondi, temporarily used in time of repairs). In the future, approximately 2010, there is going to be a light rail line from one of the suburbs, Lasnamäe, to the city center.

Roads

*total: 49,480 km
*paved: 10,935 km (including 75 km of expressways)
*unpaved: 38,545 km (1998 est.)

Pipelines

* natural gas 420 km (1992)

Waterways

* 320 km perennially navigable

Ports and harbours

Baltic Sea

* Haapsalu, Kunda, Muuga
* Paldiski, Pärnu, Tallinn

Merchant marine

*total: 50 ships (with a volume of GRT|1,000|first=yes or over) totaling GRT|306,264/DWT|293,083|metric|first=yes
*ships by type: (1999 est.)
**bulk carrier 3
**cargo ship 20
**combination bulk 1
**container ship 5
**petroleum tanker 2
**roll-on/roll-off ship 13
**short-sea passenger 6

Airports

Airports - with paved runways

*total: 5 (1997 est.)
*over 3,047 m: 1
*2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
*914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1997 est.)

Tallinn Airport http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallinn_International_Airport

See also

* Estonia
* M/S Estonia
* [http://www.lkw-walter.co.uk/english/transport_estonia.htm Truck transport Estonia]