Public transport in Tallinn consists of bus, tram, trolleybus, train, and ferry services. Tallinna Linnatranspordi (TLT) operates bus, tram and trolleybus routes, Elron operates train services, and Spinnaker OÜ operates the ferry service to Aegna Island on the high speed craft Vegtind. Tallinn is the only city in Estonia to have ever used trams or trolleybuses. Use of trolleybuses has decreased since their peak operation in 1988. Since 2024, diesel buses have started to be replaced by compressed gas–powered and battery electric buses.
History
The first tram route in Tallinn was opened in 1888. For their first 30 years of operation, Tallinn's trams were pulled by horses. The horse-drawn tram lines ran on the Narva, Tartu and Pärnu main roads, routes that remain in use today. The first electric trams went on the line in 1920, which were built locally in Tallinn using German and Swedish equipment. The use of trams as public transport was very popular during the period of the independent Republic of Estonia before World War II and the German and Soviet occupations. In 1939, the Tallinn tram carried more than 143 million passengers.
Regular bus connections in Tallinn began in 1921 with five bus lines. By 2024, the bus system had 67 routes.
Plans for trolleybus services began in 1946, and the first trolleybus route in Tallinn opened in 1965, during Soviet Union's occupation of Estonia. There were nine trolleybus routes at their peak, with 160 trolleybuses operating in 1988. As of 2024, there are four remaining routes, with 45 operating trolleybuses.
The first passenger trains with steam locomotives began to serve the people of Tallinn and people living near the city in the 1870s. The country's first electric train line, operating between Tallinn and Pääsküla, opened in 1924. The Second World War was devastating for passenger train traffic. The retreating Red Army stole rolling stock in 1941, and the German occupiers dismantled the electricity grids. Passenger train traffic was reopened in 1944. Narrow-gauge railway passenger train traffic in Tallinn (with one of the most important stops at the port) operated from the beginning of the 20th century until the Soviet occupation forces liquidated them.
Tallinn has been planning to construct a light rail service since 1970. The light rail project halted when Estonia regained independence from the Soviet Union's occupation, with planning resumed in the 2000s.
Current services
Bus
Internal Tallinn has 80 bus routes. Buses are available throughout Tallinn, with Pirita, Lasnamäe, Haabersti and Nõmme particularly well served. Nearly all routes have two terminus stops, one of which also serves as a resting stop for drivers. Tallinna Transpordiamet (Tallinn Department of Transportation) sets the routes and timetables, and the contracts are renewed every five years.
Route numbers in Tallinn consist of one or two numbers, occasionally accompanied by a letter. Letters A or B are usually used when multiple bus lines follow mostly the same route but have different terminuses. For example, bus routes 31 and 31A both start from the same bus terminus and follow the same route but have different end terminuses. The letter E is used for express routes. A Park & Ride bus, route 1PR, operated from September 2007 until January 2009.
The city's main bus terminal is located under the Viru Keskus shopping centre in the city centre, where 10 bus routes start (8A, 18, 20, 31A, 34, 38, 44). Other major terminal stations include Väike-Õismäe, Keskuse, Seli, Baltic Station, Priisle, Kadaka, Vana-Pääsküla, Estonia Theatre and Kopli. New public transportation terminals are planned for Lilleküla between the railway station and Kristiine keskus, and in Ülemiste, between current Ülemiste railway station, T1 Mall of Tallinn and Ülemiste keskus).
Tallinn has very few "feeder lines" that connect bus passengers to other means of transport. Bus route 25 used to take passengers to the two trolleybus terminuses in Mustamäe but the route was closed in September 2020. Bus route 22 takes passengers to Väike-Õismäe, which used to be a trolleybus terminus, but now connects with another bus route.
Routes mostly operate between 5:20am and 12:20am. Some bus routes, mainly express routes, operate only during peak hours and have breaks between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Since September 2012, express routes have the same ticket price as regular bus routes.
The scheduled bus intervals depend on route and time of day. Most routes to the high-density districts of Lasnamäe, Väike-Õismäe, Mustamäe, and Pelguranna (all built during the Soviet occupation) have typical intervals of 6–15 minutes, while typical scheduled bus intervals to the low-density districts of Nõmme and Pirita are 12–60 minutes. Some routes operate only on weekdays and only during rush hours.
In late 2008, popular bus and trolleybus routes' operating times were prolonged until 1 am but this did not continue. Four night bus lines began operating in 2023. These lines are operate between Balti jaam to Mustamäe, Väike-Õismäe, Pelguranna, and Priisle. Two more night bus lines were added in 2024. These lines are Balti jaam to Viimsi keskus and Balti jaam to Vana-Pääsküla. The use of night bus lines is free of charge for Tallinn residents. The services run every half hour until 4.30am on Saturday and Sunday night. Discussions are underway whether to offer the service on Thursdays and Fridays as well. The most popular night bus lines are the Mustamäe, Priisle and Vana-Pääsküla lines.
The Tallinn Department of Transportation currently owns 530 buses. It bought 100 new environmentally-friendly Solaris Urbino 12 CNG and Solaris Urbino 18 CNG compressed gas buses from Solaris Bus & Coach, which entered into service in August 2020. Tallinn has since bought a further 250 compressed gas buses, making 350 in total, and plans to replace all older diesel buses by 2025. Only the newest Euro 6 emission standard-compliant diesel buses will remain in use alongside the gas buses, specifically the MAN Lion's City A78, MAN Lion's City GL / A40, and Volvo 7900 Hybrid.
15 electric buses Solaris Urbino 12 electric were added to the bus fleet with an option for another 15 in 2024. These buses were considered suitable for the Nordic climate of Tallinn, as they had already been used in other Northern European countries such as Finland, Latvia, Sweden and Norway. TLT plans for buses to be fully electric by 2035. Tallinn city government approved an additional budget in 2024, according to which Tallinn will purchase another 30 compressed gas buses for 12 million euros.
+NumberRoute 1Vana-Pääsküla - Viru - Viimsi2Balti jaam - Mõigu3Vana-Lõuna - Pelguranna4Väike-Õismäe - Tiskre5Männiku - Viru - Metsakooli tee6Merivälja pansion - Metsakooli tee7Seli - Sõjamäe8Väike-Õismäe - Balti jaam - Äigrumäe8AViru keskus - Äigrumäe9EKadaka - Estonia - Priisle10Väike-Õismäe - Nõmme - Vana-Pääsküla11EKadaka - Kaubamaja 12Väike-Õismäe - Seli13Väike-Õismäe - Priisle15Estonia - Bussijaam - Sõjamäe16Väike-Õismäe - Estonia - Tallinn-Väike18Viru keskus - Urda19Reisisadama D-terminal - Laagri alevik20Viru keskus - Teelise21Viru keskus - Landi22Väike-Õismäe - Kakumäe23Kadaka - Bussijaam 24Kadaka - Estonia24AKadaka - Mäepealse - Estonia25Tiskre - Reisisadama D-Terminal26Väike-Õismäe - Paljassaare26AVäike-Õismäe - Paljassaare põik27Harkujärve - Laagri alevik28Vana-Lõuna - Väike-Õismäe30Seli - Iru - Kärmu31Priisle - Estonia31APriisle – Iru hooldekodu – Estonia32Männiku - Kopli33Männiku - Kopli34Viru keskus - Muuga aedlinn35Seli - Pelguranna36Väike-Õismäe - Nõmme - Viru37Mustamäe - Kakumäe sadam38Viru keskus - Muuga39Vana-Lõuna - Liikuri40Priisle - Estonia - Pelguranna41Balti jaam - Kakumäe42Väike-Õismäe - Estonia - Priisle44Viru keskus - P. Pinna45Väike-Õismäe - Nõmme - Ülemiste46Väike-Õismäe - Estonia - Seli 47Lennujaam - Peetri kool48Pirita Keskus - Vesse49Viimsi keskus - Lennujaam50Seli - Majaka põik54Väike-Õismäe - Bussijaam - Priisle55Hobujaama - P. Pinna57Raudalu - Kalev58Priisle - Majaka põik59Balti jaam - Pikakari 60Seli - Maneeži61Kotermaa - Järve haigla62Väike-Õismäe - Mäeküla63Priisle - Maneeži65Priisle – Lennujaam66Priisle - Balti jaam - Pelguranna67Seli - Bussijaam - Sütiste73Vana-Lõuna - Viru - Kopli liinid +NumberNight Bus Route91Balti jaam - Mustamäe92Balti jaam - Väike-Õismäe93Balti jaam - Pelguranna94Balti jaam - Priisle95Balti jaam - Viimsi keskus96Balti jaam - Vana-Pääsküla
Regional
Regional bus routes are managed by the Harjumaa Ühistranspordikeskus (HÜTK) (Harju County Public Transportation Centre). The centre was established in early 2005 by 25 local governments of Harjumaa and the Government of the Harju County as the representative of the Republic of Estonia. The goal of the centre is to arrange public transportation in Harju County to raise the quality of the service provided. There are about 50 commercial lines in Harju County.
Tram
The tram system is operated by TLT. Tallinn's tram network is long, and serves mainly the city centre and its surrounding areas. There are 5 tram lines and seven types of trams: Tatra KT4D (german model), Tatra KT4SU (Soviet Union model), Tatra KT4TM (modernized Tatra KT4s), Tatra KT4TMR (built from Tatra KT4 bodies to look like retro vehicles), Tatra KT6TM (which is like Tatra KT4 with a lowered middle-section, also modernized), CAF Urbos AXL and PESA Twist 147N. Twenty CAF Urbos AXL trams entered service in 2015/16.http://www.caf.es/en/productos-servicios/proyectos/proyecto-detalle.php?p=259|title=CAF-Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, your railway solutions Twenty three PESA Twist trams entered service in 2024/2025. Of the 66 trams in Tallinn, 45 are in daily use during rush hour.
A line 4 extension to Tallinn Airport was opened on 1 September 2017, consisting of two new stops: and Lennujaam (Airport). A tunnel was built to bypass the train tracks by Ülemiste jaam. Six old Tatra KT4 trams were fully renovated in 2016–2017 to imitate the look of early 20th century trams, all of which operated on line 3 and after depot reassignment on line 1 and 5. 12 old Tatra KT6s and 2 KT4s were fully modernized in 2017–2018. This means that new or fully modernized trams make up about 95% of all trams in Tallinn.
International procurement for purchasing 8 new trams to Tallinn was started in late 2019, with an option to buy 15 more. In 2022, the Polish company Pojazdy Szynowe PESA Bydgoszcz (PESA) won the contract to supply up to 23 new trams to TLT for 52 million euros. The first new trams were delivered in 2024. The tram model offered by PESA is PESA Twist, which is adapted to the gauge of Tallinn. The -long, six-door trams have 65 seats and can accommodate a total of 300 passengers. In addition to PESA, two other companies took part in the procurement but were unsuccessful: the Spanish company Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) and the joint Finnish-Czech tenderers Škoda Transtech and Škoda Transportation. According to the plans, the new trams will primarily serve the new Vanasadama (Old Town Harbour) line.
Tallinn city government approved an additional budget in 2024 to purchase another 10 new trams for 35 million euros. These trams should arrive by 2027 to cover the needs of the additional line network capacity in the direction of Pelguranna and Liivalaia. The winner of this tender has not yet been announced.
TLT began selling its old KT4 trams in 2024, and it plans to sell all un-modernized trams. By 2028, Tallinn should have a total of 73 trams, of which 53 will be modern trams and 20 will be modernized trams.