The municipalities of Otepää, Tõrva and Valga addressed the Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Hendrik Johannes Terras with their concerns about the new timetables for the Valga-Tartu train line, which will come into force on 5 January 2026. The changes have significantly affected the ability of the region's residents to get to work, school and kindergarten in Tartu on time in the morning. The previous connection allowed arrivals before 9 a.m., while the train now arrives only at 11.25 a.m. There is also no functioning bus service at the same time, leaving many residents with no real choice.
According to the Otepää municipality, the new arrangement will force families to use private cars on a daily basis, which will increase costs, environmental burden and risk levels on winter roads.
The municipality of Tõrva stresses that the situation was aggravated by the closure of the GO Bus line 80, which cut the connection to Viljandi and from there to Tallinn. For a number of local teachers and professionals, this means that getting to work has become more difficult.
For the municipality of Valga, this is an issue that affects the wider living environment. The municipality, with almost 15 000 inhabitants, depends on well-functioning public transport - the daily mobility of children, young people and the elderly depends on the coordination of train and bus timetables. If morning services are not available, peripheralisation will worsen and the attractiveness of the area as a place to live will be reduced.
The mayors of the municipalities of Otepää, Tõrva and Valga, who signed the joint petition, emphasise in the letter that the train connection in South Estonia is not a luxury, but a vital public service. At a time when the daily transport connections of local residents are deteriorating, the focus is on international lines, whose practical value in the daily lives of Estonian people is questionable. Such a choice of priorities is unfair and leaves the people of southern Estonia feeling that their needs are secondary.
The municipalities propose to restore the morning train service, which would allow arrivals in Tartu between. 8.30-8.45, coordinate bus and train timetables and assess the impact of the changes on the viability of the area. The municipalities of Otepää, Tõrva and Valga confirm their willingness to discuss and find solutions.
See the joint petition in the Valga municipality document register: https://atp.amphora.ee/valgavv/index.aspx?itm=772079