Estonia, Legislation, Railways, Society, Transport

"Enabling citizens of Tallinn to travel by train inside city limits for free is a reasonable option from the viewpoint of better organization of urban traffic," Elron CEO Andrus Ossip said. "It takes less than 20 minutes to make a journey from the suburbs to the city center also during the rush hour, hence for people living near the railway train is one of the fastest and most convenient transport options in Tallinn," he added.

Under the agreement, Tallinners can ride for free also on express trains within the city limits from July 1, 2016. This pertains to eight departures per day between the central railway station and the station of Ulemiste.

Residents of Tallinn must produce a personalized public transport card and a valid ID to enjoy a free ride. Tallinners boarding an Elron train for a longer journey out of Tallinn must pay for one zone less than the length of their journey.

The latter rule does not apply to trips on express trains, where Tallinners must pay the full fare when traveling beyond the boundaries of the city.

Tallinners boarded Elron trains 200,000 times per month on the average in the five months from January to May 2016.