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Railway overhead power line repair in Ida-Viru County. August 18, 2026. Source: Rene Kundla\/ERR<\/p>\nElron’s eastbound passenger rail service resumed early Tuesday afternoon after a damaged overhead line halted trains on the Tallinn\u2013Narva route for several hours.<\/p>\n
According to\u00a0Elron passenger information specialist Endel Maas, eastbound service resumed around 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
“Passenger trains are now running according to regular schedules,” he added.<\/p>\n
The disruption began after the damaged electrical line was discovered within the railway clearance area between Kohtla-N\u00f5mme and P\u00fcssi at 7:25 a.m. on Tuesday, Elron communications chief Kristo M\u00e4e said.<\/p>\n
Rail service on the route was suspended, with the first Narva\u2013Tallinn train of the day stopped between Kohtla-N\u00f5mme and P\u00fcssi and unable to continue its journey toward Tallinn.<\/p>\n
Passengers were transported to their destinations by bus during the disruption, as state-owned rail infrastructure operator Estonian Railways (EVR) initially expected repairs to be completed by noon.<\/p>\n
According to M\u00e4e, the overhead power lines are part of a project to electrify the route for new \u0160koda electric trains. The lines had been damaged overnight, blocking rail traffic in the morning.<\/p>\n
Railway overhead power line repair in Ida-Viru County. August 18, 2026. Source: Rene Kundla\/ERR<\/p>\n
Speaking to ERR’s radio news Tuesday morning, M\u00e4e said that while rail service elsewhere in Estonia was running on schedule at the time, the incident in Ida-Viru County risked causing delays elsewhere throughout the day because Elron trains operate across the country.<\/p>\n
“If one train goes off its schedule and doesn’t get to where it’s supposed to be, it can cause a chain of delays elsewhere,” he explained.<\/p>\n
Police: Third cable theft in a month<\/p>\n
Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) spokesperson Marta Tuul confirmed to ERR that the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) is handling the case, as there was no indication of sabotage in the damage.<\/p>\n
J\u00f5hvi Police Department chief Nikita Golovin said Tuesday’s incident was already the third cable theft in his precinct in the past month, although neither previous case caused any disruptions to train traffic.<\/p>\n
Emergency services received a report of the rail service disruption around 7:30 a.m. According to Golovin, police determined that cables from the overhead power network under construction between Kohtla-N\u00f5mme and P\u00fcssi stations had been cut overnight.<\/p>\n
“As far as we know, this is a theft, and we have no reason to believe or suspect it was a case of sabotage,” he said, clarifying that the cables had been cut between poles supporting the overhead lines.<\/p>\n
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Elron train at a crossing. Source: Siim L\u00f5vi\/ERR<\/p>\n
The PPA is at the scene, he added, with officers including forensic specialists, investigators and patrol officers.<\/p>\n
“We’re doing everything we can to determine the circumstances as quickly as possible,” Golovin said, noting that police are collecting evidence, speaking with potential witnesses and carrying out other steps involved in a criminal investigation.<\/p>\n
He emphasized there was no indication that the infrastructure had been deliberately damaged to disrupt rail service; police believe the cables were more likely stolen for financial gain, such as their scrap value.<\/p>\n
Ticket refunds<\/p>\n
Passengers are advised to check the Elron website for the latest service information<\/a>.<\/p>\n Passengers are also eligible for a refund<\/a> if their train is delayed by 30 minutes or more. Elron apologized for the disruption.<\/p>\n Estonian state-owned passenger rail operator Elron runs services on tracks owned by EVR and Edelaraudtee, serving 7.66 million passengers in 2025.<\/p>\n —<\/p>\n Follow ERR News on Facebook<\/a> and X<\/a> and never miss an update!<\/p>\n