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.
A bilevel car or double-decker coach is a type of rail car that has two levels of passenger accommodation as opposed to one, increasing passenger capacity.
Helsinki commuter rail is a commuter rail system serving Greater Helsinki. The system is managed by the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) and operations are contracted out to VR at least until 2031.
The Finnish railway network consists of a total track length of 9,216 km (5,727 mi). The railways are built with a broad 1,524 mm track gauge, of which 3,249 km (2,019 mi) is electrified. Passenger trains are operated by the state-owned enterprise VR that runs services on 7,225 km (4,489 mi) of track. These services cover all major cities and many rural areas, though the coverage is less than the coverage provided by the bus services. Most passenger train services originate or terminate at Helsinki Central railway station, and a large proportion of the passenger rail network radiates out of Helsinki. VR also operates freight services. Maintenance and construction of the railway network itself is the responsibility of the Finnish Rail Administration, which is a part of the Finnish Transport Agency. The network consists of six areal centres, that manage the use and maintenance of the routes in co-operation. Cargo yards and large stations may have their own signalling systems.
Turku Central Station is a railway station in the VII District of Turku, Finland. It has VR services to Helsinki and towards Joensuu. The station serves approximately a million passengers annually.
Helsinki Central Station (HEC) is the main station for commuter rail and long-distance trains departing from Helsinki, Finland. The station is used by approximately 400,000 people per day, of whom about 200,000 are passengers. It serves as the terminus for all trains in the Helsinki commuter rail network, as well as for all Helsinki-bound long-distance trains in Finland. The Rautatientori metro station is located in the same building.
Riihimäki railway station is a railway station located in the town of Riihimäki, Finland.
The Nastola railway station is located in the city of Lahti in the Päijänne Tavastia region, in Finland. The station is located in the centre of the urban area of Nastola, and the distance from the Lahti railway station is 15.7 kilometres and that from the Kausala railway station is 23.6 kilometres.
The Sm3 Pendolino is a class of high-speed body-tilting trains operated by VR Group. It is a member of the Pendolino train family; its design is based on the ETR 460. The first two trainsets were assembled in Finland by Rautaruukki-Transtech in the mid-1990s. The rest of the series of eighteen EMUs were built by Fiat Ferroviaria between 2000 and 2006. The trains serve most of Finland's major cities such as Helsinki, Turku, Oulu and Joensuu with a maximum speed of 220 km/h (140 mph), although this speed is only attained between Kerava and Lahti. The train has a power output of 4,000 kW (5,400 hp) and weighs 328 tonnes.
Although Finland has no dedicated high-speed rail lines, sections of its rail network are capable of running speeds of 200 km/h (124 mph). The Finnish national railway company VR operates tilting Alstom Pendolino trains. The trains reach their maximum speed of 220 km/h (137 mph) in regular operation on a 75.7 km (47.0 mi) route between Kerava and Lahti. This portion of track was opened in 2006. The trains can run at 200 km/h (124 mph) on a longer route between Helsinki and Seinäjoki and peak at that speed between Helsinki and Turku. The main railway line between Helsinki and Oulu has been upgraded between Seinäjoki and Oulu to allow for trains to run at speeds between 160 km/h (99 mph) and 200 km/h (124 mph). Other parts of the Finnish railway network are limited to lower speed.
The Alstom Coradia is a family of diesel and electric multiple units for intercity and regional service manufactured by Alstom, with variants operating in Europe, North America, and Africa.
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.
Stadler FLIRT is a passenger multiple unit trainset made by Stadler Rail of Switzerland. The baseline design of FLIRT is an electric multiple unit articulated trainset that can come in units of two to twelve cars with two to six motorized axles. The maximum speed is 200 km/h (125 mph). Standard floor height is 57 cm, but 78 cm high floors are also available for platform heights of 76 cm.
The Sm5 electric multiple unit (EMU) is a low-floor train used on the Helsinki commuter rail network. Unlike other train types on the network, the Sm5 units are owned by Pääkaupunkiseudun Junakalusto Oy, a subsidiary of the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. The units are leased to the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL), and VR operates them.
Riihimäki–Tampere railway is a railway running between the Riihimäki railway station and the Tampere railway station in Finland, and it is part of the Finnish Main Line. The line between Riihimäki and Hämeenlinna was opened in 1862 as a part of the Finland's first railway between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, and the line between Riihimäki and Tampere in 1876.
The Kerava–Lahti railway line or Lahden oikorata is a railway line in southern Finland between the towns of Kerava and Lahti, which opened on 3 September 2006.
The Lentorata is a planned railway line in Finland, designed to link Helsinki Airport to the Finnish long-distance railway network and to complement the current airport connection via the Ring Rail Line. Construction of the line is not expected to start until 2030, with the line operational several years later.
The Hikiä railway station is located in Hausjärvi, Finland, in the village and urban area of Hikiä. It is located along the Riihimäki–Lahti line, and its neighboring stations are Riihimäki in the west and Oitti in the east.
Henna railway station is located in the town of Orimattila, Finland, in the district of Henna. It is located along the Kerava–Lahti railway, and its neighboring stations are Lahti in the north and Mäntsälä in the south.
VR commuter rail is a Finnish commuter rail system operated by VR – the national railway operator of Finland – under a public service obligation agreement with the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland. The operations are planned in trilateral co-operation between the ministry, the operator and various regional transport authorities.
