"An important decision in Tallinn's 2026 supplementary budget, which we approved at the city government level, will affect the development of the city's public transportation system for decades to come. The city plans to purchase 22 new bidirectional trams. In essence, this means a change in the entire logic behind the development of the tram network," Jesse wrote on social media.

The deputy mayor said that currently every new tram line depends on a large turning loop built at the end of the route.

"These take up a lot of space, make construction more expensive and limit the development of routes in a dense urban environment, as well as the phased extension of lines in the desired direction. Bidirectional trams operate differently — the driver's cabin is located at both ends of the vehicle, passenger doors are on both sides and the tram can simply change direction at the terminal stop without requiring a large turning loop, much like a train or metro," he said.

According to Jesse, this will allow Tallinn to continue developing existing tram lines section by section and immediately put newly completed track segments into service, for example toward Lasnamäe, Järve or elsewhere. "Passengers benefit from the completed sections immediately and do not have to wait for the entire line to be finished," Jesse said.

"The line can be extended step by step as needed and temporary terminal stops can be used during construction or reorganizations. In the future, double-ended trams will also improve the reliability of the tram network during accidents and other emergency situations where one track is temporarily closed or blocked," he added.

Jesse emphasized that bidirectional trams also provide greater flexibility in the construction of stops.

"In the narrow conditions of Tallinn City Center (Kesklinn), it is possible to use a single centrally located platform instead of two separate stops. This helps save street space and allows public transportation to be integrated more effectively into a historic and/or densely built urban environment," Jesse said.

Jesse noted that this does not mean replacing Tallinn's entire tram fleet with vehicles featuring two driver's cabins, but rather acquiring enough to meet the needs of developing new lines and extending existing ones.

Jesse acknowledged that such rolling stock is more expensive, but said it reduces infrastructure construction costs and gives the city more opportunities to continue expanding the network.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and X and never miss an update!