Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS

Tallinna linnatranspordi aktsiaselts
Typecity municipality owned corporation
IndustryPublic transportation
PredecessorTAK, TTTK
Founded2012
Headquarters
Tallinn
,
Estonia
Area served
Tallinn
Websitewww.tallinnlt.ee

Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS (TLT) is a transportation company owned by the city of Tallinn, Estonia. TLT is a result of the merger of Tallinn Bus Company (Tallinna Autobussikoondis) and Tallinn Tram and Trolleybus Company (Tallinna Trammi- ja Trollibussikoondis) in July 2012. The company provides bus, trolleybus, and tram services in Tallinn.

History

Tallinn Bus Company

TAK was founded in 1945 as a state-owned company, under which status it operated until 1993, when it was reorganised as a public limited company owned by the City of Tallinn. Currently, the company is divided into seven operating divisions.

Tallinn Tram and Trolleybus Company

Tallinn Tram and Trolleybus Company was started in 1997 and provides transportation ever since.

Merger

Tallinn Tram and Trolleybus Company was merged with Tallinn Bus Company, and Tallinna Linnatranspordi AS officially started its operations under the new name on 18 July 2012.[1]

At the end of 2019, the company's bus fleet has 529 buses serving 75 bus routes. TLT plans to replace all diesel buses with gas buses by 2025.[2]

Logo history

After the Merger of the Tallinn Bus Company (TAK) and Tallinn Tram and Trolleybus Company (TTTK). Its corporate visual identity transitioned from legacy predecessor emblems to a unified brand logo introduced around 2013.

Rolling stock

Former bus fleet

Tallinn's former bus network was serviced by the following fleet

Class Image  Top speed  Length

metres

  Capacity  In

service

 Fleet

numbers

 Routes

operated

 Built Years

operated

 mph   km/h  Std Sdg Total
Scania CL94UA
40 65 18.11 36 133 169 5 104, 177, 178, 181, 182 Lines 1 and 5 1979–1990 1981–present
Scania L94UB 40 65 26.77 55 191 246 12 96, 97, 98, 99, 102, 103, 109, 110, 114, 123, 131, 148 All lines 2001–2004 2001–present
Total 66

Current bus fleet

Tallinn's bus network is currently serviced by the following fleet

Class Image  Top speed  Length

metres

  Capacity  In

service

 Fleet

numbers

 Routes

operated

 Built Years

operated

 mph   km/h  Std Sdg Total
Solaris Urbino 12 40 65 18.11 36 133 169 5 104, 177, 178, 181, 182 Lines 1 and 5 1979–1990 1981–present
Solaris Urbino 18 40 65 26.77 55 191 246 12 96, 97, 98, 99, 102, 103, 109, 110, 114, 123, 131, 148 All lines 2001–2004 2001–present
MAN Lion's City 43 70 31 79 140 219 20 501–520 All lines 2011–2015 2015–present
Volvo 7900 37 60 18.11 33 136 169 6 136, 138, 140, 141, 142, 168 Regularly on line 1 and 5

(Line 3 previously)

 2016–2018 2017–present
Solaris Urbino 12 electric 50 80 28.6 65 244 309 23 521–543 All lines 2022–2025 2024–present
Total 66

Current tram fleet

Tallinn's tram network is currently serviced by the following fleet:[3][4][5][6]

Class Image  Top speed  Length

metres

  Capacity  In

service

 Fleet

numbers

 Routes

operated

 Built Years

operated

 mph   km/h  Std Sdg Total
Tatra KT4 (including KT4D, KT4SU, KT4TMa)
40 65 18.11 36 133 169 5 104, 177, 178, 181, 182 Lines 1 and 5 1979–1990 1981–present
Tatra KT6TM 40 65 26.77 55 191 246 12 96, 97, 98, 99, 102, 103, 109, 110, 114, 123, 131, 148 All lines 2001–2004 2001–present
CAF Urbos AXL
43 70 31 79 140 219 20 501–520 All lines 2011–2015 2015–present
Tatra KT4TMR
37 60 18.11 33 136 169 6 136, 138, 140, 141, 142, 168 Regularly on line 1 and 5

(Line 3 previously)

 2016–2018[7] 2017–present
Pesa Twist 147N
50 80 28.6 65 244 309 23 521–543 All lines 2022–2025 2024–present
Total 66
Notes: a^ D: German model; SU: Soviet model; TM: modernised units

History and former tram fleet

Following the start of electrification in 1931, the first electric tram cars were assembled in Tallinn using parts and sub-assemblies from Germany and Sweden. The first snow-plow came from Sweden in 1930. By 1940 the system was operating with 54 tramcars, of which 20 were electrically powered and nine were still petrol/gasoline powered. The other 28 were unpowered trailer units. Between 1951 and 1954 15 powered tramcars were assembled in the Tallinn depot along with 23 unpowered trailer cars.[8]

Gotha tram units

The now-refurbished "Pauliine" Gotha G4 tram, in use as a café

Between 1955 and 1964, 50 powered tramcars and 50 further unpowered trailer cars were delivered from the Gothaer Waggonfabrik rolling stock production facility in southern GDR (East Germany). Between 1965 and 1967, more Gotha G4 "bendy-tram" (hinged) tramcars were added to the fleet. Use of the Gotha G4 units continued until 1988.

One Gotha G4 has survived, and is said to be the only intact unit in the world that can still be operated. In 1990, it was converted into a café and christened "Pauliine", after Tallinn's first female tram driver.[9] The café ceased operation in 2017, and the tram was subsequently left disused for eight years.[10] In 2025, the tram underwent a comprehensive renovation, whereby most of its original features were restored and a new red livery was painted. The café table layout was left unchanged.[9] It remains too old for daily use, and can now be rented for private events.[10]

Tatra tram units

In 1973, Tallinn switched suppliers to ČKD Tatra of Prague in Western Czechoslovakia.

By 1990, 60 Tatra T4 trams[11] and 73 Tatra KT4 trams had entered service on the Tallinn network.[12]

Tatra KT4SU (left) in old blue livery and Tatra KT4DTM at Suur-Paala

After Estonia regained independence in 1991, procurement was focused on second-hand Tatra units. 13 KT4 trams came from the city of Gera, 6 from Cottbus, 16 from Erfurt and 1 from Frankfurt (Oder). In 2001, work had commenced on converting the KT4 fleet into KT6TM units through the addition of a low-floor middle-car. Whilst the use of two-section T4 vehicles came to an end in 2005,[13] the T4-based KT4 and KT6TM trams were the only trams running in Tallinn until the mid-2010s, and remained mainstays of the fleet into the 2020s.

From the early 2000s, there has also been a focus on enhanced maintenance schedules and the use of more robust replacement parts in order to extend the operating life of rolling stock from 19 to 25–30 years.[8]

Trams 2010-present

A new generation of trams for Tallinn arrived when Estonia sold unused emissions permits worth €45 million to Spain, which specified that new, energy efficient trams be purchased in exchange.[14] The multi-party deal involved the Spanish constructor CAF and required the delivery of 20 new, low-floor Urbos AXL trams by 2016. The first unit was delivered to the city towards the end of 2014, and was thoroughly tested and entered into service by March 2015.[15] The trams initially only ran on line 3, but later began to operate across the entire network. The CAF Urbos trams have known design problems that have not been solved since the adoption of the trams: the noise levels from the electric motors are exceptionally high and the trams noticeably lean from side to side during braking.

Since 2018, twelve of the converted KT6TM trams have worn liveries depicting influential Estonian musical figures. Each contains the person's name and photo on the outside of the front car, and an informational panel can be found inside at the front.

There are also 6 refurbished KT4TMR 'retro' trams, bearing the names of important figures in the country's history. As with the KT6TMs, they have an information panel inside the front car. Unlike the rest of the fleet, these trams use wooden benches placed in a longitudinal configuration.

Since 2024, Pesa Twist trams have also been operating on the system.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Filippov, Madis (19 July 2012). "Tallinna Autobussikoondis ja Trammi- ja Trollibussikoondis ühinesid". Tallinn City (in Estonian). Postimees. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "Tallinn ostab 27 miljoni euro eest sada gaasibussi". ERR (in Estonian). 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  3. ↑ "Trammiveerem". Aktsiaselts Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT) (in Estonian). Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  4. ↑ "New Pesa Twist trams for Tallinn and Wrocław". Urban Transport Magazine. 2024-06-06. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  5. ↑ Marko Tooming (2022-06-13). "New Tallinn trams to cost tens of millions less than projected". ERR. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  6. ↑ "Tram fleet". Aktsiaselts Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT). Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  7. ↑ "Galerii: viimane Tallinna retrotramm Ernst asus liinile". Postimees (in Estonian). 2018-03-26. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
  8. 1 2 Cite error: The named reference VelloTalves was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. 1 2 Veronika Uibo (2025-04-15). "Tallinn's oldest tram fixed up". ERR. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
  10. 1 2 "GALERII: Tramm Pauliine läbis uuenduskuuri ja on valmis eritellimussõitudeks". Aktsiaselts Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT) (in Estonian). 2025-04-06. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
  11. ↑ "TALLINNA TRAMMID / ТРАМВАИ ТАЛЛИННА". Tallinna Ühistransport (hobbyist site). Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  12. ↑ "Tatra КТ4 – Tallinn". Tallinna Ühistransport (hobbyist site). 2007. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "Tramm sõidab Järva-Jaani". Postimees (in Estonian). 2005-10-14. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
  14. ↑ "Estonian Government approves the signature of a contract for the sale and purchase of emission rights with Spain | Eesti Vabariigi Valitsus". valitsus.ee. Retrieved 2026-04-15.
  15. ↑ "Moonika sõidab tänasest Tondi-Kadrioru liinil". Postimees (in Estonian). 2015-03-31. Retrieved 2026-05-25.
  16. ↑ "GALERII: Esimene PESA tramm saadeti pidulikult liini teenindama". Aktsiaselts Tallinna Linnatransport (TLT) (in Estonian). 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
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