31.07.2026
The tram tunnel and new tram track built under the Rail Baltica Ülemiste passenger terminal were completed, and from August 1, Tallinn Airport and the Ülemiste area will be served by two tram lines at the same time for the first time – T2 and T4.
According to Anvar Salometsa, Chairman of the Board of Rail Baltic Estonia, the Ülemiste area is becoming a new gateway to Tallinn and one of the most important hubs, where international and local trains, trams, buses, the airport and tens of thousands of people who work and study here every day come together.
"But Ülemiste will not become an international traffic hub in one moment in 2028, when the Rail Baltica Linda terminal is completed, but this change will happen step by step already today. Last summer, we opened the first new stop for Elron train passengers, now a new tram connection is ready, connecting the terminal to the airport - these are the first parts of the future mobility center that people can use already today," said Salomets.
According to Joel Jesse, Tallinn's Deputy Mayor for Transport, the new connection will restore the long-awaited tram connection to the airport and will now allow you to take the tram directly from the Old Harbour to the airport.
"Starting August 1, tram lines from Kopli and Tondi will serve the airport and Ülemiste City, which means a more frequent and convenient connection between the airport, Ülemiste, and the city center," said Jesse.
"This time, the tram route also has an important new option - a parallel branch at the airport, which allows trams to pass each other at the final station if necessary and improves the capacity and reliability of the entire connection. Such a solution will also give us more flexibility in the future when increasing tram traffic. This is an important development for Tallinn, because few European cities have such a well-functioning and high-capacity tram connection to an international airport that is located so close to the city center. I am glad that such a connection now exists again in the city of Tallinn," added Jesse.
According to Kristjan Järvan, Tallinn's Deputy Mayor for Environment and Utilities, the increase in airport tram traffic was made possible thanks to the parallel road built last year.
"Our goal in building the parallel road was to enable more frequent tram traffic in the future and increase the capacity of the airport's terminal stop. I am pleased that this investment is now bearing fruit - passengers will have a more frequent and comfortable connection than before," said Järvan.
According to Kadi Pärnitsa, Chairman of the Board of Mainor AS, the restoration of the tram connection shows how the Ülemiste region has grown over the past decade.
"Three years ago, when the city's tram connection was cut off, over 5000 people were already using it every day. Today, nearly 18,000 people live, work and study in the Ülemiste area, and the community is very pleased that tram traffic has been restored after complex construction work. We are especially pleased that the city is bringing two tram lines to Ülemiste - both from Kopli and Tondi, which was helped by the tram ring road built at the Airport a year ago as a joint effort by the state and the city. Many thanks to the decision-makers, builders and financiers," said Pärnits.
The underground tram tunnel, built during the construction of the northern field areas of Rail Baltica Linda, was built by AS TREF Nord and ATEMO OÜ. The contract value is 20,9 million euros, financed by the European Union and the Estonian state.
The airport tram connection was closed from 2023 due to the construction of the Vanasadam tram line and the construction of the Rail Baltica Ülemiste passenger terminal. In 2025, a 110-meter parallel track to the airport terminal was completed, which will allow for more tram traffic in the future and increase the capacity of the terminal.
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