The blue carriages are passenger cars built between 1961 and 1987 used by VR for long-distance passenger travel in Finland.
The blue carriages are passenger cars built between 1961 and 1987 used by VR for long-distance passenger travel in Finland.
The first 15 units were built in Germany by Maschinenfabrik Esslingen in 1961. The model was later copied by VR and manufacturing started in VR's own machine workshop in Pasila in 1964. Over 600 units were built up until 1987. Most are capable of speeds up to 140 to 160 kilometers of hour. They are slowly being phased out in favour of the more modern InterCity-coaches. [1] Some are still used in night trains from Helsinki to Kolari and Rovaniemi and in commuter trains from Helsinki to Kouvola.
| Name | Outside image | Inside image | Description | Years built | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eipt |  |  | Eco-class car with lounge compartment for pets, luggage cabin and telephone booths. They were refurbished in 1997-2000 and turned into first class cars, and their interiors upgraded to a modern InterCity-style. This was short-lived however, as in 2004 they were reverted back to Eco-class and the former first class lounge made into a space for pets. Currently used from December to April in night trains to Kolari. | 1975-1976 | 46 |
| Rk |  | Restaurant car. Originally built as standard express train restaurant cars, they were refurbished in 1996-1998, given a 60s interior theme and painted in red-white InterCity-colors.
| 1975-1976 | 40 | |
| EFits and EFs |  |  | Eco-class car with luggage compartment and conductor's cabin. They were painted in VR:s standard green-white theme in 2010-2012.
| 1985-1986 | 46 |
| EFiti |  |  | Eco-class car with luggage compartment and conductor's cabin, with specialized entrances, seats and a toilet for wheelchair users. The features for wheelchair users where added in 1991-1995.
| 1980-1981 | 46, of which 3 are for wheelchairs |
| Eil |  |  | Commuter traffic car. They were refurbished and painted green-white in 2011-2013.
| 1982-1987 | 113 |
| Eilf | | | Commuter traffic car with conductor's cabin. They were refurbished and painted green-white in 2011-2013.
| 1982-1987 | 93 |
| CEmt |  |  | Sleeping car. The roof on the sleeping cars is higher than any other cars to be able to fit 3 beds on top of each other in the cabins, and is not corrugated like the rest of the cars.
| 1978-1984 | 35 beds |
| De |  | Generator car. Is coupled to diesel locomotives on non-electrified tracks, to give electric power to the train. Originally a luggage car, but fitted with a generator and painted in a red-white InterCity-livery in 2008 since VR needed more generator cars. | 1984 |
VR Group, 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 Helsinki Metro is a rapid transit system serving Greater Helsinki, Finland. It is the world's northernmost metro system. The Helsinki Metro was opened to the general public on 2 August 1982 after 27 years of planning. It is operated by Helsinki City Transport for HSL and carries 63 million passengers per year.
Kemijärvi is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Lapland. The municipality has a population of 7,289 and covers an area of 3,930.91 square kilometres (1,517.73 sq mi) of which 425.84 km2 (164.42 sq mi) is water. The population density is 2.08 inhabitants per square kilometre (5.4/sq mi).
Helsinki commuter rail is the commuter rail system serving Greater Helsinki, Finland. The network is part of the HSL network, and is operated by VR, the Finnish state-owned national railway company. Together with the Helsinki Metro, buses, and trams, the network forms the heart of Helsinki's public transportation infrastructure.
The Finnish railway network consists of a total track length of 9,216 km (5,727 mi) of railways built with 1,524 mm Old Russian gauge track having electrified track length of 3,249 km (2,019 mi). Passenger trains are operated by the state-owned VR which covers track length of 7,225 km (4,489 mi). They serve all the major cities and many rural areas, though railway connections are available to fewer places than bus connections. 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 is divided in 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.
The Helsinki tram network forms part of the Helsinki public transport system organised by Helsinki Regional Transport Authority and operated by Helsinki City Transport in the Finnish capital city of Helsinki. The trams are the main means of transport in the city centre. 56.7 million trips were made in 2013. The Helsinki system is one of the oldest electrified tram networks in the world.
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 which 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 Central Railway Station metro station is located in the same building.
Salo railway station is located in the town of Salo in the Southwest Finland region, Finland. All passenger trains between Helsinki and Turku stop at Salo, and the station also serves cargo traffic. About 320 thousand passengers use the station every year. Inside the station, there is one automatic ticket vending machine. The station has three elevated platforms for passenger traffic, and for going underneath the tracks, there is a tunnel, with exits by stairs and elevator.
Oy Karelian Trains Ltd is a joint venture agreed on 23 November 2006 between Russian Railways (RZhD) and VR Group to facilitate the operation of international express passenger rail services between Helsinki, Finland, and Saint Petersburg, Russia. Karelian Trains is registered in Helsinki; VR and RZhD both own 50% of the shares. The services are branded as Allegro.
Joensuu railway station is located in Joensuu, North Karelia, Finland. The station was opened in 1894.
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 (120 mph). The Finnish national railway company VR operates tilting Alstom Pendolino trains. The trains reach their maximum speed of 220 km/h 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 (120 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 (120 mph). Other parts of the Finnish railway network are limited to lower speed.
The Dv12 is the standard Finnish medium-weight diesel-hydraulic road switcher operated by VR. As all the main lines of Finnish railway network have been electrificied, the locomotive is designated mostly to unelectrified, less frequently used side lines. Occasionally it may still pull cargo trains on main lines. It has also been put in service as a shunter, replacing older classes Dv15 and Dv16 as they were retired. A total of 192 locomotives were built by Lokomo and Valmet between the years 1963 and 1984. As of 2019, the oldest Dv12 units are 56 years old.
The Sm2 is a class of electric multiple units in use by VR in commuter traffic in the Helsinki area. Fifty Sm2 units were built between 1975 and 1981 by Valmet in Tampere.
The Sm4 electric multiple unit (EMU) is a low-floor train used by the VR Group for longer-distance Helsinki commuter rail services. The initial order was for ten EMUs with the first unit entering service in 1999. Another 20 units were ordered in 2002 and the deliveries were completed in 2005. The Spanish company CAF was contracted to manufacture the units, based on a design by Alstom.
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), but due to VR Group's passenger transport monopoly on Finnish railways, VR operates the trains.
Allegro is a high-speed train service, operating Alstom VR Class Sm6 trains, between Helsinki, Finland, and St. Petersburg, Russia. The service started on 12 December 2010. The aim is to reduce travel time between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg: before Allegro, the journey time was 5½ hours; currently it is 3 hours and 27 minutes over a journey of 407 km and there are plans to bring it down to 3 hours. The name Allegro is a musical term for a quick tempo, thereby suggesting "high speed".
The Aurora Borealis Express is an overnight express train operating between Helsinki and Kolari in Finland. The train travels via many major cities and towns in Finland, and stops at most of them. The total distance is a little under 1000 kilometers, and the journey lasts for 14 and a half hours. The service is bi-directional, with a corresponding train operating southwards over the same route.
The HKL Class M100 is the first and oldest class of metro trains in use on the Helsinki Metro. One train consists of two individually numbered cars. A total of 42 car pairs were manufactured between 1977 and 1984.
The HKL Class M200 is a class of metro trains in use on the Helsinki Metro, based on the DBAG Class 481 trains used on the Berlin S-Bahn. One train consists of two individually numbered cars. A total of 12 pairs were manufactured by Bombardier-DWA in Germany during 2000–2001.
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