100 years since the first electric train ride in Estonia

100 years ago, on 20 September 1924, at 11:15 a.m., the first electric train in the Baltic States, consisting of a railcar and three railtrucks, departed from the Baltic station for its inaugural run. The 11 km long electric railway between Tallinn and Pääsküla initially had two stops – Järve and Nõmme.

Passengers were served by railcars converted from old travel coaches, to which up to four passenger coaches could be coupled. The electric railway was closed between 1941 and 1946.

In 1946, the electric railway was reopened and it used rolling stock from the Berlin railway (S-Bahn). In 1947, a decision was taken to electrify the Pääsküla-Keila railway section. In 1958, electrification of the Keila-Klooga route also began and a rolling stock produced at the Riga wagon factory started its service on the railway. In 1962, a new depot for electric trains was built in Pääsküla. Since 2013, Stadler FLIRT electric trains have been serving passengers on the electric railway. By 2024, the total length of electrified railway for passenger transport in Estonia will be 237 km.