From Monday 2 March 2026, a new bus route Valga–Keeni–Puka–Elva–Tartu will operate as a pilot project.
The bus departs from Vala every weekday at 7.00 and arrives in Tartu at 8.45. The pilot service replaces the morning train service, which disappeared after the Valga-Tartu train timetable change that came into force on 5 January.
The pilot solution was agreed at a meeting between Hendrik Johannes Terras, Minister of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, AS Eesti Liinirongid (Elron), the Valgamaa Joint Transport Centre and representatives of Valgamaa municipalities. The meeting followed a joint appeal by the municipalities of Otepää, Tõrva and Valga, which drew attention to the fact that the new timetable means that residents of the region will no longer be able to get to work, school or kindergarten in Tartu before the start of the working day.
The trial period will run until 10 June 2026, during which time the usability and impact of the route will be assessed and feedback gathered to inform future decisions.
The bus timetable is available on the website of the Valgamaa Public Transport Centre: https://transport.valgamaa.ee/ .
The leaders of the local authorities in Valga County said that the train service in South Estonia is not a luxury, but a vital public service. While national attention is being focused on international connections, the daily mobility of Estonian people within their own country must not be neglected.