The Tram That Never Came: Public Transportation Development in Soviet Tallinn

What is it about?

This article explores Soviet infrastructure planning and development by examining the case of public transportation in Tallinn, Estonia. Soviet urban planners envisaged a comprehensive public transportation network in Tallinn, with emphasis on trams and trolleybuses, that would provide clean and efficient mobility. However, the implementation of this plan failed as it met restrictions imposed by existing infrastructures and environmental factors. Most of all, various institutions tasked with developing the public transportation system failed to negotiate in the face of difficulties. As a result, the trolleybus network expanded slowly, and the tram network ceased to develop at all. Therefore, the bulk of public transportation was temporarily provided by unwanted diesel motorbuses. Since there were no comparable plans for the development of bus networks, and the electric transportation system was never implemented, Tallinn's resultant public transportation system was unplanned and temporary.

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