The Tallinn-Tartu bus line celebrates its 50th anniversary

On July 1, 2021, 50 years passed since the launch of one of the most legendary Tallinn-Tartu express lines No. 724 in Estonia. To celebrate this, Tallinn Bus Station brought out the historic Ikarus 255 bus and the schedule of the very first working day to highlight the contrast of half a hundred years.

According to the historical timetable of the Tallinn Bus Park on July 1, 1971, the soft-seat bus “Ikarus-250 Turist” made from Tallinn to Tartu and vice versa only two trips. The bus left the capital in the morning at 09:00 and 16:05, from Tartu at 13:00 and 16:50. The bus covered a distance of 186 kilometres in 2 hours and 45 minutes, which included a five-minute mandatory rest period at the Mäo crossroads. At that time, a full ticket cost 3 rubles and 70 kopecks and a children's ticket 1 ruble and 85 kopecks. In addition, 70 kopecks had to be paid for luggage.

In the last couple of decades, the most popular bus line in Estonia, Tallinn-Tartu “Full Hour Express” ("Täistunni Ekspress",) has grown out of express line No. 724. At peak times, this bus line has run in both directions 17 times a day and with half-hour departures as many as 32 times a day. Thanks to the recession of the corona pandemic, Lux Express has restored the activity of the line to the maximum extent this spring and summer, so that passengers can once again enjoy the most comfortable and safest travelling method from Tallinn to Tartu.

If half a century ago the comfort of the entire bus was soft seats, then today Lux Express uses the flagships of the bus fleet to serve the "Full Hour Express" ("Täistunni Ekspress") – comfort class Irizar i8 buses, which have won the European Bus of the Year award. From the free hot drinks and internet to the bus cinema and music, everyone who has ever taken this ride knows what opportunities these buses offer.

On the occasion of the jubilee of “Full Hour Express" ("Täistunni Ekspress”,) Lux Express will offer tickets for all Tallinn-Tartu and Tartu-Tallinn trips in July at a price of 5 euros until July 5. Special price tickets are only available on luxexpress.eu and in the Lux Express mobile application. Because of the arrival of the birthday month, Lux Express will also add additional departures to the route.

The first Ikarus 250 by number in Ülemiste Park with bus driver Voldemar Piigli. It was one of the ten buses that arrived in Estonia in June 1971 and from which a separate brigade was created to serve the new Tartu express line 724.
Photo by: bus driver Endel Pööbel
Re-production – completely restored Ikarus 255 in Tallinn Bus Station with bus driver Alar Kattai.
Photo by: Sergei Zjuganov
Historical schedule of Tallinn Bus Park on July 1, 1971.