VR-Group Plc, commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. VR's most important function is the operation of Finland's passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 commuter rail services every day. With 7,500 employees and net sales of €1,251 million in 2017, VR is one of the most significant operators in the Finnish public transport market area.
The Oulu Railway Station is located in the centre of Oulu, Finland, in the city district of Vaara. All trains are operated by VR. Nearby is the Oulu bus station for long-distance buses.
The Sr1 is a class of electric locomotives built for VR of Finland. These 25 kV locomotives were built in the Soviet Union at the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Factory between 1973 and 1985. Two additional locomotives of this class were built at the VR Hyvinkää Machine Workshop in 1993 and 1995, number 3111 from spare parts and number 3112 from the original prototype locomotive that was never used by the VR. The official classification given by the manufacturer is VL70 or ES40.
The Sr2 is a class of electric locomotives of the VR Group. They were built by SLM/ABB and later by Adtranz and finally Bombardier Transportation and assembled by Transtech Oy. They are closely based on the class Re 460 locomotives of Swiss Federal Railways.
The Dr16 is a class of diesel-electric locomotives used by VR. The 23 locomotives have a single, off-centre cab and are currently VR's most powerful diesel locomotives. Their nickname is "Iso Vaalee". They are presently mainly used on heavy freight services in northern Finland; their main passenger duty is the haulage of trains on the non-electrified line between Kemi and Kolari in Lapland. Dr16 locomotives were also used extensively on the line between Oulu and Rovaniemi, prior to the completion of the electrification of the line in 2004.
The electric multiple unit Sm1 is a class of commuter train equipment that was in active use by VR from 1969–2016. Fifty Sm1 units were built between 1968 and 1973 at Valmet airplane factory in Tampere. They were put into use on the first electrified Finnish railway line between Helsinki and Kirkkonummi on January 26, 1969 with five units in operation. All Sm1s were thoroughly renovated between 1994 and 2000. Commercial service ended in April 2016.
The Sm2 is a class of electric multiple units in use by VR in its commuter rail traffic in southern Finland. Fifty Sm2 units were built between 1975 and 1981 by Valmet in Tampere. Since the withdrawal of the older Sm1 units, the Sm2 units are the oldest multiple units in use in Finland.
The Dm6 and Dm7 were diesel multiple units built by Valmet in the 1950s and 1960s for Valtionrautatiet. They are known by their nickname lättähattu.
The Dr14 is a heavy shunting locomotive used by VR Group. Some of the locomotives can be radio controlled.
The Dm10 was an experimental diesel multiple unit built by VR Group's Pieksämäki workshop in 1994. It was based on a blue passenger carriage, Eit 23018, which was fitted with two diesel engines taken from HKL buses 601 and 608. The train had 80 no-smoking seats and had the driver selling tickets, which was unusual for Finnish conditions. During testing, it was run under the nomenclature KOEMV 9991, transporting Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari in Savonia in May 1994.
VR Class Pr1 was a tank steam locomotive for local passenger services of Finnish railways.
The Finnish Steam Locomotive Class B1 is an 0-4-2ST built by Beyer, Peacock & Company, at its Gorton Foundry in Manchester, England. Nine were constructed between 1868 and 1890. They were designed for use as shunting locomotives.
The Finnish VR Class Hv1 was a 4-6-0 express passenger train locomotive. 42 were built between 1915 and 1921. They were numbered 545–578 and 648–655.
Before 1942, the VR Class Vr1 were originally classified as L1. The Vr1 was a powerful and effective locomotive. Part of them were built by Tampella and part by Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG of Germany. They were numbered 530–544, 656–670, 787–799 and were nicknamed “Kana” ("Hen"). They were operation from 1913-1974.
The VR Class Vr3 was a class of steam locomotive built in Finland. Before 1942, the class was known as O1. They were nicknamed Kukko and they have the same frames and boiler as the Vr Class Pr1 (Paikku) locomotive. The first locomotive was ordered in 1924 from Hanomag of Germany, number 10 351 and it was numbered 752. The remaining 4 were produced by Tampella Oy in Tampere. They were numbered 752 to 756.
The VR Class Tr1 is a class of heavy freight locomotive built in Finland and Germany. Before 1942 VR Class Tr1s originally had the class name R1. They were nicknamed “Risto”, after the Finnish President Risto Ryti. They were numbered 1030–1096.
The locomotive that came to form VR Class Vk4 was originally one of a pair of 0-4-0T locomotives ordered from Rheinmetall Borsig Lokomotiv Werke (AEG), Germany to work at Ino fortress at Terijoki on the Karelian Isthmus. The locomotives had 2 axles, they were the wet-steam type, and used a slip-Walschaert valve gear. Production numbers and years were 7268/1909 and 7858/1910. The fortress was in Finnish hands when Finland became independent.
The Finnish VR Class Pr2, nicknamed "Henschel", was a passenger tank class ordered from the Henschel & Son locomotive workshops by the Estonia State Railways in the spring 1939 and completed in 1941. The outbreak of the Second World War prevented their delivery to Estonia, but at least a few of these engines did manage to operate in Latvia in 1942. These engines became superfluous, because the Germans were converting the Baltic tracks to standard gauge, and so Finland could purchase these four engines. They were classified Pr2 and numbered 1800–1803 after their arrival in December 1942.
VR Class Dr13 was a heavy diesel locomotive used by VR Group. The Dr13 was designed by the French company Alstom. The class consisted of 54 locomotives, of which the first two were built by Alstom’s factory in Belfort, France and were shipped to Finland in 1962, while the rest were built in Tampere at the factories of Lokomo and Valmet. The first Dr13 series locomotive came to Finland on 24 October 1962. The Dr13 series was introduced between 1962 and 1963, and the last units were withdrawn by June 2000.
