Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Mandatory data collection at EU level is based on the legal act Regulation EU 2018/643 and covers goods and passengers. Data are collected as follows:
Annex I (Annex A, annual data) – freight transport;
Annex II (Annex C, annual data) – passenger transport;
Annex III (Annex E, quarterly data) – basic data on goods and passengers;
Annexes IV and V (Annexes F and G, data every five years) – regional statistics on goods and passengers on rail network segments;
Annex VIII (annual data) – data on freight and passenger transport for small undertakings; not provided separately, as the data are provided in Annexes I and II.
Statistics Estonia (SE) is the body responsible for collecting rail transport data. Submitting this data to SE is mandatory for rail transport enterprises. The data were collected via three questionnaires: a small monthly one, a more thorough quarterly one, and the most comprehensive annual questionnaire. One enterprise active in railway construction (presumedly with a small amount of rail transport) was not surveyed. For the annual questionnaire, one smaller enterprise whose rail transport takes place on private railways mainly in industrial installations was excluded, while it was included in table E and in the statistics for 2023 and before. The quarterly questionnaire did not include Vivi, which operates international passenger transport with Latvia.
All surveyed rail transport enterprises responded with a full dataset, including those working only on private railways.
(as adopted under Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (1).)
3.3. Coverage - sector
Rail transport: Nearly all railway enterprises of the reporting country providing transport of passengers or goods on the national territory, including those working only on private railways.
One enterprise which is presumed to only transport a small amount of goods for the purpose of railway construction was excluded. One goods transport enterprise was excluded from the yearly questionnaire, but not from the E-tables, on the basis of the Regulation Article 2a.
The passenger transport enterprise Vivi, conducting international transport, was excluded from the E-tables.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The main concepts used in the rail domain are:
Rail passengers are counted on the basis of ticket validations. The E-tables excluded international passengers due to a confusion with the border station of Valga (actually on Estonian side).
Passenger-km are counted on the basis of distance between the "from" and "to" stations on the ticket. The E-tables excluded international passengers due to a confusion with the border station of Valga (actually on Estonian side).
Weight means the quantity of goods in tonnes (1,000 kilograms). The weight taken into consideration includes, in addition to the weight of the goods transported, the weight of packaging and the tare weight of containers, swap bodies, and pallets. Some of the goods are transported using the services of more than one railway undertaking, which causes double-counting.
Tonne-km means the unit of measure of goods transport which represents the transport of one tonne (1,000 kilograms) of goods by rail over a distance of one kilometre. Only the distance on the national territory of Estonia has been taken into account.
Train means one or more railway vehicles hauled by one or more locomotives or railcars, or one railcar travelling alone, running under a given number or specific designation from an initial fixed point to a terminal fixed point. A light engine, that is to say, a locomotive travelling on its own, is not considered to be a train.
Train-km means the unit of measure representing the movement of a train over one kilometre. The distance used is the distance actually run. Only the distance on the national territory of Estonia has been taken into account.
3.5. Statistical unit
Statistical units for rail transport statistics are railway undertakings of Estonia providing transport of passengers or goods. For Table A, data on the Latvian enterprise Vivi, when it comes to transport operation performed on the territory of Estonia, are included.
3.6. Statistical population
Data on passenger and freight transport, as well as traffic were collected from the railway undertakings operating on the territory of Estonia. All surveyed undertakings were required to provide data detailed enough to compile Annex A, even one that could have been subject to Annex L's simplified reporting.
3.7. Reference area
Operational railway network on the Estonian national territory.
Estonian railway network is 1,520 mm gauge. Imports and exports are thus restricted to countries that share this gauge.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data on passengers and goods are covered from 2004 onwards.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable
The volume and performance of rail freight traffic are measured in tonnes (mass, in thousands) and tonne-kilometres (in thousands). Passenger transport by rail is measured in the number of passengers (in thousands) and in passenger-kilometres (in thousands). Information on the number of train-kilometres (in thousands) is also available. Traffic flows on the rail network are measured in the number of trains – passenger and freight.
Containers are measured in both the number and TEU.
Tables A and C are transmitted annually. Table E is transmitted quarterly, Tables F and G quinquennially (every five years, covering one year).
In compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/643, data are compiled and transmitted as follows:
Annex I (Annex A) – data on freight transport collected for a reference period of one year, with a data transmission deadline of 5 months after the end of the reference period;
Annex II (Annex C) – annual data on passenger transport, with a data transmission deadline of 8 months after the end of the reference period;
Annex III (Annex E) – quarterly data on goods and passengers, with a data transmission deadline of 3 months after the end of the reference period;
Annexes IV and V (Annexes F and G) – quinquennial data on regional statistics on goods and passengers and rail network, with a data transmission deadline of 12 and 18 months after the end of reference period, respectively;
Annex VIII – data on freight and passenger transport for small undertakings, with a data transmission deadline of 5 and 8 months deadline after the end of reference period, respectively. Annex VIII is not used because all such data are reported in Annexes I and II.
The target and reference periods match.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164) stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
The data provided to Eurostat in the datasets did not contain confidential information.
As only aggregates are sent to Eurostat and both passenger transport enterprises have given permission to publish their data in an indirectly identifiable manner, the data are not confidential.
8.1. Release calendar
Notifications about the dissemination of statistics on all topics are published in the release calendar, which is available on Statistics Estonia's website. Every year on 1 October, the release times of the statistical database, news releases, main indicators by IMF SDDS, and publications for the following year are announced in the release calendar (in the case of publications – the release month). Irregular reports are published in addition to the data in the database.
8.2. Release calendar access
The release calendar is available on this website (Release calendar).
8.3. Release policy - user access
All users have been granted equal access to official statistics: dissemination dates of official statistics are announced in advance and no user category (incl. Eurostat, state authorities, and mass media) is provided access to official statistics before other users. Official statistics are first published in the statistical database. Official statistics are available on the website at 8.00 a.m. local time on the date announced in the release calendar.
No news releases are published. News articles may be published after the publication of the data in the public database.
The annual and quarterly statistics required by Eurostat are published with the same frequency in the national database. Quarterly statistics published also included disaggregation by NST 2007 level 1. The quinquennial statistics are published annually.
Simple monthly statistics on transport within Estonian borders were also published according to the needs of domestic and other international organisations. This includes:
Goods transported, 1,000 t;
Goods transported, 1,000 t*km;
Passengers transported, 1,000;
Passengers transported, 1,000 passenger-km.
The data on goods have previously been disaggregated by public and private railroads, but since 2023 the methodology used no longer works due to a change in national legislation affecting the rail freight market situation.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
No news releases are published.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
News articles may be published on this website (STAT EE) after the publication of the data in the public database. Articles on transport may not always be translated, in this case they are available only on the Estonian language page.
Not practised. The small number of undertakings does not allow dissemination of even anonymised microdata.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Data serve as input for statistical activity "Transport of passengers and goods by transport enterprises", also conducted by Statistics Estonia. The published data are available (Statistical database).
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Dedicated meta information (definitions, comments, methods, quality) on rail transport statistics is available at national level (Rail transport).
10.7. Quality management - documentation
Dedicated meta information (definitions, comments, methods, quality) on rail transport statistics is available at national level (Rail transport).
The questionnaires are conducted online, in Statistics Estonia's eSTAT environment, and include mathematical controls to ensure there are no egregious mistakes in the submitted data. The microdata are then checked against time series by data processors and a data analyst.
Statistics Estonia performs all statistical activities according to an international model (Generic Statistical Business Process Model – GSBPM). According to the GSBPM, the final phase of statistical activities is overall evaluation using information gathered in each phase or sub-process; this information can take many forms, including feedback from users, process metadata, system metrics, and suggestions from employees. This information is used to prepare the evaluation report, which outlines the quality problems related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.
The quality is assessed to be solid. The data collection processes are well-established, as are the data providers. The tonnes of goods transported are double-counted when freight handover occurs between private and public railways. Statistics Estonia endeavours to seek alternative data sources in order to reduce the burden on the data providers, as well as hopefully eliminate the need for double-counting.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications; the Estonian Ministry of Climate, UNECE-ITF, Eesti Pank
The main users of statistics are public authorities, industry associations, research and educational institutions.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Since 1996, Statistics Estonia has conducted reputation and user satisfaction surveys. For the survey, both the existing and potential consumers of statistics were interviewed (User surveys). The latest survey was conducted in 2021.
The survey was generic and did not address rail, transport or economic statistics separately from the general attitudes towards Statistics Estonia's activities.
The questionnaires also include optional feedback questions for the data providers.
12.3. Completeness
In compliance with the rules (regulations)
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The type of survey and the data collection methods ensure good coverage and timeliness. All enterprises registered in Estonia that are active in rail transport reported data monthly, quarterly, and annually. The data processing with several checks provided sufficient accuracy.
The prevalence of double-counting in weight of goods carried can be assessed to be around 17% out of the reported total for the year 2024. This number was found through assessing the flows of goods reported to have been transported for less than 10 km on average. It is relatively likely that these goods were then coupled to another rail enterprise's locomotive at a rail freight terminal.
13.2. Sampling error
Not applicable for rail transport data collection, since total population sampling is used.
Sampling of enterprises that provide services only on their private railway causes a certain amount of double-counting in the weight of goods transported, while providing a more complete picture of the tonne-kilometres transported.
13.3. Non-sampling error
We take all measures necessary to ensure the quality of the data transmitted.
The total freight in tonnes may be double-counted since in domestic transport one and the same quantity of freight may be carried to the destination by several railway enterprises if one of them carries the freight on a public railway and the other on a non-public railway.
For 2024, no imputation has been necessary, as our data providers have been diligent.
14.1. Timeliness
Data are disseminated in the national statistical database 65 days after the reporting quarter (T + 65 days) and 130 days after the end of the reference year (T + 130 days).
Quarterly data are transmitted to Eurostat within three months after the end of the reference period; annual data within five or eight months after end of the reference period as it is set in Regulation (EU) 2018/643 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 April 2018 on rail transport statistics (recast).
14.2. Punctuality
Quarterly data are transmitted to Eurostat within three months after the end of the reference period; annual data within five or eight months after the end of the reference period as it is set in REGULATION (EU) 2018/643 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 18 April 2018 on rail transport statistics (recast).
A great majority of the data deliveries have been punctual. Unfortunately, a more accurate assessment of punctuality is not available at this time.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The data are comparable with the data of other European Union countries because a common methodology has been used for rail transport statistics. Eurostat mirror checks are trusted to show any discrepancies, insofar as they are able.
It must be considered that of Estonia's freight rail traffic, most of the international trade has been with non-EU countries as the partners.
For 2024, international traffic with Latvia from the border station in Valga is finally reported in Table A.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The data are comparable over time because a common methodology has been used. This does not apply to international passenger transport with Latvia, as before 2024 the station of Valga was counted to be on the border, thus the transport with Latvia was not counted as in- or outgoing.
The detailed information on eventual breaks in the time series is provided in the Country Specific Notes (CSNs) available on Eurostat’s metadata page (in the Annex section).
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
It is recommended to exercise caution when making comparisons with other transport statistics, since data are currently not available or are not collected at the same level of detail and also due to different methods and underlying objectives. We consider rail data to be of a higher quality than other national transport data, except when it comes to tonnes carried, where double-counting comes into play.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The data are made internally coherent by using a common methodology in data collection and the same rules of data aggregation.
Cost of the statistical activity: 41,000 euros (2024), 0.6 FTE
Total time of filling in reports of the statistical activity, in working days (2024):
Annual questionnaire 6.7
Quarterly questionnaire 3.1
Monthly questionnaire 3.5
Total 13.2
Average time of filling in the reports, in hours per report (2024):
The published data may be revised if the methodology is modified, errors are discovered, new or better data become available. Revisions are not expected to be major. The Common Questionnaire RAIL infrastructure data are currently in need of a larger revision.
18.1. Source data
The survey population covers all enterprises whose economic activities include the transport of passengers or goods by rail and those who have been issued the corresponding operating licences. Sampling design method – expert. The population includes 10 objects. All objects of significance – all apart from the smallest – are observed.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual
Quarterly
Monthly
18.3. Data collection
Data are collected and the submission of questionnaires is monitored through eSTAT (the web channel for electronic data submission). The questionnaires have been designed for independent completion in eSTAT and include instructions and controls. Non-response is treated by telephone contacts, offering guidance on the questionnaire or collection by phone. Information about data submission is available on Statistics Estonia’s website at (Enterprise surveys), the questionnaires are available at (Questionnaires).
Data are collected with the monthly, quarterly and annual statistical questionnaires "Railway transport".
18.4. Data validation
Arithmetic and qualitative controls were used in the validation process, including comparison with the data of the previous periods and other surveys (between the monthly, quarterly, and annual survey). This is managed by data processors, who make corrections or ask the data provider for clarification in case of faulty data. This is done in cooperation with the data analyst responsible for the entire statistical activity.
18.5. Data compilation
In the case of missing or unreliable data, estimate imputation in accordance with established regulations may be used. This was not necessary in 2024.
Variables and statistical units which were not collected but which are necessary for producing the output are calculated. New variables are calculated by applying arithmetic conversion to already existing variables. This may be done repeatedly, the derived variable may, in turn, be based on previously derived new variables.
Microdata are aggregated to the level necessary for analysis. This includes aggregating the data according to the classification and calculating various statistical measures.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applied
No specific comments
Mandatory data collection at EU level is based on the legal act Regulation EU 2018/643 and covers goods and passengers. Data are collected as follows:
Annex I (Annex A, annual data) – freight transport;
Annex II (Annex C, annual data) – passenger transport;
Annex III (Annex E, quarterly data) – basic data on goods and passengers;
Annexes IV and V (Annexes F and G, data every five years) – regional statistics on goods and passengers on rail network segments;
Annex VIII (annual data) – data on freight and passenger transport for small undertakings; not provided separately, as the data are provided in Annexes I and II.
Statistics Estonia (SE) is the body responsible for collecting rail transport data. Submitting this data to SE is mandatory for rail transport enterprises. The data were collected via three questionnaires: a small monthly one, a more thorough quarterly one, and the most comprehensive annual questionnaire. One enterprise active in railway construction (presumedly with a small amount of rail transport) was not surveyed. For the annual questionnaire, one smaller enterprise whose rail transport takes place on private railways mainly in industrial installations was excluded, while it was included in table E and in the statistics for 2023 and before. The quarterly questionnaire did not include Vivi, which operates international passenger transport with Latvia.
All surveyed rail transport enterprises responded with a full dataset, including those working only on private railways.
30 September 2025
The main concepts used in the rail domain are:
Rail passengers are counted on the basis of ticket validations. The E-tables excluded international passengers due to a confusion with the border station of Valga (actually on Estonian side).
Passenger-km are counted on the basis of distance between the "from" and "to" stations on the ticket. The E-tables excluded international passengers due to a confusion with the border station of Valga (actually on Estonian side).
Weight means the quantity of goods in tonnes (1,000 kilograms). The weight taken into consideration includes, in addition to the weight of the goods transported, the weight of packaging and the tare weight of containers, swap bodies, and pallets. Some of the goods are transported using the services of more than one railway undertaking, which causes double-counting.
Tonne-km means the unit of measure of goods transport which represents the transport of one tonne (1,000 kilograms) of goods by rail over a distance of one kilometre. Only the distance on the national territory of Estonia has been taken into account.
Train means one or more railway vehicles hauled by one or more locomotives or railcars, or one railcar travelling alone, running under a given number or specific designation from an initial fixed point to a terminal fixed point. A light engine, that is to say, a locomotive travelling on its own, is not considered to be a train.
Train-km means the unit of measure representing the movement of a train over one kilometre. The distance used is the distance actually run. Only the distance on the national territory of Estonia has been taken into account.
Statistical units for rail transport statistics are railway undertakings of Estonia providing transport of passengers or goods. For Table A, data on the Latvian enterprise Vivi, when it comes to transport operation performed on the territory of Estonia, are included.
Data on passenger and freight transport, as well as traffic were collected from the railway undertakings operating on the territory of Estonia. All surveyed undertakings were required to provide data detailed enough to compile Annex A, even one that could have been subject to Annex L's simplified reporting.
Operational railway network on the Estonian national territory.
Estonian railway network is 1,520 mm gauge. Imports and exports are thus restricted to countries that share this gauge.
Tables A and C are transmitted annually. Table E is transmitted quarterly, Tables F and G quinquennially (every five years, covering one year).
In compliance with Regulation (EU) 2018/643, data are compiled and transmitted as follows:
Annex I (Annex A) – data on freight transport collected for a reference period of one year, with a data transmission deadline of 5 months after the end of the reference period;
Annex II (Annex C) – annual data on passenger transport, with a data transmission deadline of 8 months after the end of the reference period;
Annex III (Annex E) – quarterly data on goods and passengers, with a data transmission deadline of 3 months after the end of the reference period;
Annexes IV and V (Annexes F and G) – quinquennial data on regional statistics on goods and passengers and rail network, with a data transmission deadline of 12 and 18 months after the end of reference period, respectively;
Annex VIII – data on freight and passenger transport for small undertakings, with a data transmission deadline of 5 and 8 months deadline after the end of reference period, respectively. Annex VIII is not used because all such data are reported in Annexes I and II.
The target and reference periods match.
The type of survey and the data collection methods ensure good coverage and timeliness. All enterprises registered in Estonia that are active in rail transport reported data monthly, quarterly, and annually. The data processing with several checks provided sufficient accuracy.
The prevalence of double-counting in weight of goods carried can be assessed to be around 17% out of the reported total for the year 2024. This number was found through assessing the flows of goods reported to have been transported for less than 10 km on average. It is relatively likely that these goods were then coupled to another rail enterprise's locomotive at a rail freight terminal.
The volume and performance of rail freight traffic are measured in tonnes (mass, in thousands) and tonne-kilometres (in thousands). Passenger transport by rail is measured in the number of passengers (in thousands) and in passenger-kilometres (in thousands). Information on the number of train-kilometres (in thousands) is also available. Traffic flows on the rail network are measured in the number of trains – passenger and freight.
Containers are measured in both the number and TEU.
In the case of missing or unreliable data, estimate imputation in accordance with established regulations may be used. This was not necessary in 2024.
Variables and statistical units which were not collected but which are necessary for producing the output are calculated. New variables are calculated by applying arithmetic conversion to already existing variables. This may be done repeatedly, the derived variable may, in turn, be based on previously derived new variables.
Microdata are aggregated to the level necessary for analysis. This includes aggregating the data according to the classification and calculating various statistical measures.
The survey population covers all enterprises whose economic activities include the transport of passengers or goods by rail and those who have been issued the corresponding operating licences. Sampling design method – expert. The population includes 10 objects. All objects of significance – all apart from the smallest – are observed.
The annual and quarterly statistics required by Eurostat are published with the same frequency in the national database. Quarterly statistics published also included disaggregation by NST 2007 level 1. The quinquennial statistics are published annually.
Simple monthly statistics on transport within Estonian borders were also published according to the needs of domestic and other international organisations. This includes:
Goods transported, 1,000 t;
Goods transported, 1,000 t*km;
Passengers transported, 1,000;
Passengers transported, 1,000 passenger-km.
The data on goods have previously been disaggregated by public and private railroads, but since 2023 the methodology used no longer works due to a change in national legislation affecting the rail freight market situation.
Data are disseminated in the national statistical database 65 days after the reporting quarter (T + 65 days) and 130 days after the end of the reference year (T + 130 days).
Quarterly data are transmitted to Eurostat within three months after the end of the reference period; annual data within five or eight months after end of the reference period as it is set in Regulation (EU) 2018/643 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 April 2018 on rail transport statistics (recast).
The data are comparable with the data of other European Union countries because a common methodology has been used for rail transport statistics. Eurostat mirror checks are trusted to show any discrepancies, insofar as they are able.
It must be considered that of Estonia's freight rail traffic, most of the international trade has been with non-EU countries as the partners.
For 2024, international traffic with Latvia from the border station in Valga is finally reported in Table A.
The data are comparable over time because a common methodology has been used. This does not apply to international passenger transport with Latvia, as before 2024 the station of Valga was counted to be on the border, thus the transport with Latvia was not counted as in- or outgoing.
The detailed information on eventual breaks in the time series is provided in the Country Specific Notes (CSNs) available on Eurostat’s metadata page (in the Annex section).
