Estonian Railways

What Estonian Railways does

AS Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways) is the sole state-owned railway infrastructure manager in Estonia, founded in 1870 and headquartered in Tallinn. The company operates, develops, and maintains Estonia's public railway network, spanning over 1,200 km of tracks that pass within reach of approximately 80% of the population. As a natural-monopoly infrastructure entity owned by the Republic of Estonia, it provides 24/7 traffic management and regulated infrastructure access to passenger and freight operators under direct B2B contracts, holds an EU Safety License (renewed January 2024), and maintains ISO 9001, 14001, and 27001 certifications.\n\nThe core offering centers on railway infrastructure management: tracks, Control Command and Signalling (CCS) systems, contact networks, and traffic management technology. Estonian Railways is currently executing a multi-year modernization program that includes electrification of most of the network by 2028 (with Aegviidu–Tapa–Tartu as the first phase and Tapa–Narva as the second), a CCS modernization contract exceeding 115 million EUR covering approximately 50 stations, a Vision Zero safety program upgrading 107 railroad crossings and 9 pedestrian crossings (~10M EUR), and IT security modernization via a Cloudflare-led Zero Trust architecture replacing legacy VPN. The company also operates an in-house training center delivering certified programs for traffic controllers (192 theoretical + 476 practical hours) and locomotive drivers (160 hours).\n\nRevenue is generated through three streams: regulated infrastructure fees charged to railway operators (Elron for passenger services and Operail for freight), training services priced per-course or per-hour (e.g., 1,700 EUR per person for advanced locomotive driver training, 27 EUR per hour for initial certification), and capital funding from the European Investment Bank (95M EUR loan in 2020, 45M EUR loan in 2025), the EU Cohesion Fund, and the Estonian Ministry of Defence (31M EUR military mobility support). The customer base is structurally narrow — a near-duopoly of operators on a state-controlled network — making infrastructure fees and EU-backed capex the dominant economic drivers.

Name

Estonian Railways

Legal name

AS Eesti Raudtee

Website

https://evr.ee

Company type

Private

Founded year

1870

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

AS Eesti Raudtee is Estonia's state-owned sole railway infrastructure manager, operating over 1,200 km of tracks. It serves passenger and freight operators Elron and Operail through regulated access, while executing a major electrification and signaling modernization program through 2028.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Railway Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Rail Transportation (4882), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (488210)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Infrastructure Authorities (Track, Stations, Grade Crossings) (BPAIALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Track Infrastructure Management & Maintenance (Rails, Sleepers, Ballast, Turnouts) (TLAJADAA), Rail Signaling & Train Control Infrastructure (Interlockings, ETCS/CBTC Wayside) (TLAJADAB), Rail Maintenance-of-Way (MOW) Equipment & Services (Tamping, Grinding, Renewal) (TLAJADAH)

Keywords

• Railway infrastructure management
• Infrastructure access fees
• Railway safety management
• Railway professional training
• Rail network modernization

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallinn

HQ country

Estonia

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Railway Infrastructure Fees: Eesti Raudtee charges infrastructure fees to railway operators (both passenger and freight) for access to and use of the railway network. This is the primary revenue stream for the state-owned infrastructure company.
2. Training Services: The company operates its own training center offering professional programs for traffic controllers, train drivers, and railway specialists. Revenue is generated through course fees (e.g., 1700 EUR per person for advanced locomotive driver training plus VAT).
3. European Union Funding: Eesti Raudtee receives significant EU funding through Cohesion Fund and other programs for railway modernization projects including electrification, safety improvements, and infrastructure upgrades.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AS Eesti Raudtee is the state-owned company responsible for the development, maintenance, and administration of Estonia's public railway infrastructure, managing over 1,200 km of tracks. The company charges infrastructure fees to railway operators and freight companies for network access, operates a Training Centre for railway professionals, runs a major CCS signaling modernization program, and is electrifying most railway lines by 2028 under a Vision Zero safety framework.

Product overview

AS Eesti Raudtee (Estonian Railways) is a state-owned railway infrastructure company managing over 1,200 km of tracks across Estonia, operating for 155 years. Its core offering is the management, development, and maintenance of the public railway infrastructure network. The company provides a portfolio of services including: the core Rail Infrastructure Management system (raudteetaristu haldus) covering 1,200+ km of tracks; Railway Safety services (raudteeohutus) grounded in the Vision Zero principle; an in-house Training Centre (koolituskeskus) delivering certified programs for traffic controllers, locomotive drivers, and safety personnel; the Rail Electrification Program (raudtee elektrifitseerimine) targeting 2028 completion for the majority of the network; the CCS Control Command and Signalling Modernization initiative upgrading ~50 stations; a Customer Portal (kliendiportaal) with infrastructure fee tools; and railway construction and maintenance services. Estonian Railways also provides commercial infrastructure access to railway transport undertakings. The company is undergoing a major modernization drive involving electrification, signaling upgrades, safety equipment investment, and digital transformation including a Zero Trust security architecture powered by Cloudflare.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Railway Infrastructure Management (Raudteetaristu haldus) Core service encompassing the development, maintenance, and administration of Estonia's public railway infrastructure spanning over 1,200 km of tracks, stations, signaling systems, and contact networks. Offered to passenger and freight railway operators as regulated infrastructure access.
• Training Centre (Koolituskeskus) In-house training centre delivering certified programs for railway traffic controllers (192 theoretical hours + 476 practical hours), locomotive driver general training (160 hours), and initial locomotive driver certification and refresher courses. Available to individuals and railway industry professionals with published pricing (27 EUR per person per hour for initial certification; 1,700 EUR per person for advanced locomotive driver training, both plus VAT).
• Railway Construction and Maintenance Services (Raudtee ehitus ja hooldus) Construction and maintenance services for railway infrastructure including new track construction, reconstruction of existing lines, bridge and platform development, and electrical grid management for railway infrastructure. Delivered by Estonian Railways and contracted to construction partners (Leonhard Weiss OÜ, GoTrack OÜ, GRK Eesti AS).
• Customer Portal (Kliendiportaal) Online portal providing business clients with infrastructure fee calculations, rules and fee schedules, procurement notices, and access procedures for the Estonian Railway infrastructure.

Quantifiable outcome

• Railway infrastructure: Over 1,200 km of tracks managed across Estonia
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Port of HamburgmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2026Estonia and Hamburg have intensified their strategic port cooperation as of May 2026, strengthening the strategic partnership between the two maritime/rail logistics hubs.
• CloudflarecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Cloudflare partnered with Estonian Railways to modernize IT security infrastructure by adopting a Zero Trust architecture. The partnership consolidates multiple legacy security systems onto a single connectivity cloud platform, replacing outdated VPN-based security with Security Service Edge solutions including ZTNA, SWG, CASB, and remote browser isolation. Estonian Railways plans to evolve further toward SASE architecture.
• European Railway Agency (ERA) and EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Estonian Railways co-hosted the 5th European railway cybersecurity conference in Tallinn, bringing together European experts and government officials. This was the first time the conference was held outside Lille, Valenciennes, or Athens.
• GRK Eesti ASmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 December 2024GRK Eesti AS awarded 81 million EUR contract for Tapa-Narva railway electrification design and construction of contact network and traction substations. Also contracted for 2.9 million EUR maintenance for five-year period.
• Leonhard Weiss OÜmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 3 November 2022Leonhard Weiss OÜ has been awarded multiple contracts including Baltic Station expansion (over 3.3 million EUR), Tartu-Reola capital repair (5.2 million EUR), and Kiltsi-Rakke-Vägeva section renovation (8.9 million EUR).
• GoTrack OÜmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 8 August 2022GoTrack OÜ has been awarded multiple railway construction and renovation contracts including Tapa-Kaarepere section (16.7 million EUR), Palupera-Puka section (7.8 million EUR), and Puka-Keeni section (4.6 million EUR).
• Elektrum Eesti OÜcoreOthers · 3 August 2021Contract signed for supply of electricity from renewable sources only for railway infrastructure, beginning in 2021.
• INDRA SISTEMAS S.A.coreTechnology or Integration · 16 June 2020Spanish company engaged for railway traffic management automation project, replacing outdated 50-year-old relay systems in stations with modern computerized systems.
• Ingeniería y Control Ferroviario (ICF)coreTechnology or Integration · 29 November 2019Spanish company awarded 14.6 million EUR contract for modernization of crossing safety equipment at 110 railway crossings and 9 pedestrian crossings across Estonian Railways infrastructure over 4-5 years.
• Mipro OymajorTechnology or Integration · 10 August 2018Finnish company awarded 16.5 million EUR contract for Western-Harju railway line traffic management system modernization covering Tallinn-Keila-Paldiski and Keila-Riisipere sections.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/eestiraudtee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eestiraudtee

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Estonian Railways