The Chancellor of Justice Indrek Teder took the oath of office before the Riigikogu. 

The Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications Juhan Parts replied to the interpellation concerning termination of regular carriage of goods on Viljandi-Tallinn railway section (No 36), submitted by Members of the Riigikogu Jaak Aab, Arvo Sarapuu and Jaanus Marrandi on 13 February. The interpellators enquired about the position of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications concerning carriage of goods and passengers on that train path in the future. 

Parts said that the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications was certainly interested in continuing the carriage of goods. “However, developments in the situation do not depend only on the choice or will of the state. Neither the ministry nor the government can force enterprises to provide transport services on that infrastructure,” the Minister admitted. The railway infrastructure belonging to the Edelaraudtee infrastructure Ltd. is designated for public use by the Railways Act. “So, all railway operators have the right to use that infrastructure,” Parts confirmed. Therefore, the carriage of goods on the railway and its continuation hinge first of all on actual volumes of the carriage of goods and the fees for the use of railway infrastructure. “If these are acceptable to the operators, then they are certainly interested in carriage of goods and continuing of the carriage of goods but, again, it depends on mutual agreements of the operators,” Parts explained. 

About the carriage of passengers in the future, the Minister said that the specified carriage on Viljandi-Tallinn railway section should be preserved and should remain at least at the existing level. “Certainly, this means that the state will continue to subsidise carriage of passengers and is ready to increase subsidies, depending on the development of the economic situation. My position is that the existing level of carriage of passengers should be the benchmark which we should follow in any case,” Parts confirmed. 

During the open microphone, Mai Treial took the floor. 

The Riigikogu Press Service

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