However, the same modernization of the line south of Tartu will have to wait several more years.

Electrification of the line between Tapa, a major rail junction, and Tartu, Estonia's second city, is one of the largest rail infrastructure projects seen in recent decades and has been carried out in several phases.

The first of these has now been completed, with overhead line poles and related infrastructure installed. The second stage is currently underway; this involves replacing the old relay-based signaling system, which uses electro-mechanical switches, with a modern one. This is a necessary precursor to electrification, as up to now diesel locomotives had serviced the route.

"The old relay-based signaling system was not designed in such a way that would have allowed the line to be electrified. The contractor has promised to complete the work by the end of this year, and then at the beginning of next year we will be able to start running trains," said Estonian Railways (Eesti Raudtee) director of infrastructure Kaido Aettik.

State passenger rail operator Elron meanwhile told ERR that its new Škoda trains are already based in Tapa, ready to enter service on the Tartu route.

Once the electrification and reconstruction work is complete, the newly procured Škoda electric trains will ultimately be able to service the line at speeds of up to 160 kilometers per hour, Aettik added, though initially trains' top speeds will be somewhat lower than that.

"The 160 kilometers per hou speed limit will only be introduced once we have received all the necessary documentation and approvals. That certainly won't happen immediately. At first, trains will run at up to 140 kilometers per hour, and only later will they be able to reach 160 kilometers per hour," Aettik went on.

While further electrification beyond Tapa, to Valga on the Latvian border, is planned, it is not yet known when that will go ahead, Aettik went on, saying that is a matter for the state.

"Our owner has designated that as phase two. When it happens will largely depend on funding," Aettik noted.

This means diesel trains will continue operating between Tartu and Valga, including those forming part of the Tartu-Riga route.

Other work needed on the southernmost route to Valga includes straightening some of the rail curves, which would also facilitate a top speed of 160 kilometers per hour, though the Tartu-Valga route is not a priority for the new signal systems installation, Aettik added. Once this work is complete for the Tapa-Tartu stretch, the Tapa-Narva route comes next, and only until 2029 at the earliest will the route to Valga also get the same treatment, Aettik said.

The Tapa-Tartu project, while behind schedule, is on course for completion year-end X as things stand. The project is separate from the ongoing high speed Rail Baltica link.

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