Oct 27, 2017 at 5:37 pm The whole country, especially South Estonia, is hit by severe storm winds. I am on my Tallinn-Tartu-Koidula trip number 0016/0386, leaving Tartu three minutes behind schedule. On the way to Tartu, the storm did some damage and due to that I got some speed restrictions from the Estonian Railway Traffic Control Center before coming to Tartu. Three minutes is not a big delay and I plan my future journey and take into account how the delay will level up and bring the people of Southeast Estonia safely.
When I get out of Tartu I get new warnings, because of the storm wind there is no control over some level crossings. The wind rises, the rain hits the windows, the leaves and branches fly around. At the Uhti stop, I notice a notoriously sloping fir tree by the railroad.
When I arrive at Reola Station, I see a traffic disabling signal. I am getting new information that power outages have reached traffic control systems, and we will continue to drive according to the rules used in such emergency situations. But it takes time. A colleague who traveled the Koidula route for a day receives information - he had fallen in several places at several places. This knowledge further increases vigilance.
I will inform passengers of the possible delay, which is estimated to be half an hour to the terminal at Koidula. After some time, we have been in Reola for more than half an hour, and given the on the road, there will be more time to be late. We get Reola moving, three-quarters of an hour late. Between Vastse-Kuuste station and the stop of Valgemets we were first surprised. Two trees had fallen on the road. The first one could not be avoided, while the second was still ahead.
I am accompanied by a train driver Taavi Laats, who does not travel on the route between Tartu and Koidula, but who wishes to familiarize himself with the route. (She will be a great help to me on my next journey). We went out together to knock the pieces of wood under the wheels and the other tree off the rails.
An elderly man on his way to Põlva kindly offers his help and his help is gone. We will continue our journey peacefully and more people will leave the train in Põlva. We're almost an hour late. Another surprise strikes us as we leave the Ruusa stop. In the middle of the road is a tree. I stopped the train and went with David to assess the situation. Three men came to the rescue from the wagon, and with them we removed the tree from the road. After a few kilometers the same thing will happen again, but it is impossible to avoid running over the tree. Once again, we went to pull the pieces of wood under the train and continued our journey. And then, having reached 57 kilometers, a few hundred meters after the bridge of the Võhandu River, one large and coarse spruce tree lay on the road, at the height of the locomotive's cabin window, and there was no hesitation in applying the emergency brake. Running over this tree would have already had a more serious effect on the train.
I informed the traffic control center and asked for help. But this help is nowhere to be taken. Some national roads are closed to traffic, and RMK's forces are off the roads to rescue motorists trapped behind fallen trees. We, with 17 passengers, are in the middle of the woods, between Ruusa stop and Veriora station.
There are 2 kilometers to Ruusa stop, to Veriora station 4 and there are no driveways to our location. The traffic manager sends my request for help, the assistance is allowed as soon as possible. I appeal to travelers to call all of my family, acquaintances, and friends who may be able to cut through the tree. I call myself all the acquaintances in South Estonia, but not at home who have no catch. All you have to do is wait. After a while, I notice four torches approaching the forest from the right. A sister and brother who were on their way home to Verorale had called their mother, through whom we had four men from our nearby farms. They grabbed hold of the chainsaws without hesitation and rushed us through the forest and across the field, defying the wind and rain. Through the woods came also a man of respectable age who heard about our helpless state through the staff of Koidula railway station. After overcoming this tree, the next one seemed already in the distance. I asked them to go with us to Koidula, as I figured this tree would not last. They immediately agreed, one of them ran back home to pick up a car and equip us on the way, and to take the men home after Koidula, we allowed the older man home. Already at the Veriora station it was necessary to change the saw chain and refuel the power saw tanks. The Ruusa - Koidula section was hardest hit by the winds, and after Veriora station we made six more stops due to fallen trees.
We arrived at Koidula, the final station where we were scheduled to arrive at 18.51, arriving at 21.33. And thanks to the four good-hearted, caring people who took the trouble to help one of the storm-bound passenger trains, who did not hesitate to ride and who were ready to do their hard work with their spare time and resources. Thanks to them, passengers of Veriora, Ilumetsa, Orava and Koidula arrived safely home.
These generous people were: Indrek Piirisild, Raito Piirisild, Margus Soitla and Raul Piirisild supported and provided us with a car. They were accompanied by a brave girl, Ranel Border Bridge, who was not left alone in a household without electricity. Thanks to them, Olimar and Meril and their mother for helping us out. Thanks to customer assistant Lyubov Zavarzina, who was very helpful in communicating with passengers, opening and guarding the doors, thanks to my colleague and friend Taav, who helped to pull the trees off the road with the passengers, thanks to the Tartu - Koidula traffic management service of Estonian Railways. The four men still deserve special thanks and appreciation - without them our journey to the final destination would have been much longer.
