All Finland articles
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NewsFinland’s VR takes over Helsinki – St Petersburg Allegro train fleet
FINLAND: National operator VR has taken over the four Sm6 trainsets which its Karelian Trains joint venture with Russian Railways previously used on Helsinki – St Petersburg services. The seven-car dual-voltage Alstom Pendolino tilting trainsets were used on the international service from 2010 until operations were ...
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Metro Report InternationalJokeri light rail line opens early and below budget
FINLAND: Helsinki Regional Transport opened its 25 km orbital light rail line serving the Helsinki-Espoo conurbation for revenue service on October 21, almost a year ahead of schedule. Running from Itäkeskus in eastern Helsinki to Keilaniemi in neighbouring Espoo to the west, the line is branded ...
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Metro Report InternationalTurku council backs light rail proposal
FINLAND: Turku city council has approved the further development of plans for a light rail line. The proposal was approved by the city council on October 2 after two years of development and consultation. The double-track-line would run 12 km from Satama in the west through ...
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Metro Report InternationalTampere tramway extension planning contract awarded
FINLAND: Two local authorities and project promoter Tampereen Ratikka have appointed an alliance of Sweco, YIT, AFRY and NRC Group to support the €12·5m development of proposals for the third phase of the Tampere tramway. One proposed extension would run 9·3 km from the city centre ...
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NewsPrivate operator’s Vectron locomotive arrives in Finland
FINLAND: What future operator Fenniarail says is the first electric locomotive to be acquired by a private operator in Finland arrived at the port of Hanko from Germany on September 17. Fenniarail ordered the Siemens Mobility Vectron electric locomotive in September 2022. The 1 524 mm ...
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Metro Report InternationalFirst phase of Tampere tramway extension opens
FINLAND: The first stage of the 6·7 km Pyynikintori – Lentävänniemi extension of the Tampere tram network opened on August 7, running 2 km to Santalahti and adding three stops. Construction began in November 2020, and opening celebrations were held on August 6. Work on the ...
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Metro Report InternationalVantaa votes to proceed with tram plan
FINLAND: Vantaa council has backed the development of a tramway in the city, which is part of the Helsinki capital area. The council voted 41:26 in favour of the project on May 22. The line would run for 19·3 km from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to the Jumbo ...
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NewsPrecise planning pays off as Finnish wood trains launch
FINLAND: National freight operator VR Transpoint has launched a ‘fine-tuned’ service transporting round wood by train to Metsä Group’s new Kemi bioproduct mill. The mill is due to start operation in Q3 2023, producing 1·5 million tonnes of pulp per year along with 2·0 TWh of ...
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NewsFirst Dr19 diesel locomotive enters service
FINLAND: The first of 60 Class Dr19 diesel locomotives being supplied by Stadler has entered revenue service with national operator VR, hauling round wood from Kemi to Kolari on May 3. In April 2019 VR awarded Stadler a €220m contract to supply 60 of the centre-cab ...
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NewsConverting Finland’s rail network to standard gauge is not financially viable, study finds
FINLAND: A study has concluded that converting the 1 524 mm broad gauge national railway network to the European standard of 1 435 mm would not be financially viable. Recognising that regauging would facilitate international passenger and freight traffic and could simplify rolling stock procurement, the ...
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In depthNurminen sees opportunities for growth following acquisition of Operail Finland
FINLAND: Nurminen Logistics says its purchase of Estonian national freight operator Operail’s Finnish business has attracted great interest from its customers in Finland, central Europe and China. Nurminen announced the completion of the transaction on February 14, saying it was now a full-service rail freight operator ...
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NewsFinnish dry port opens
FINLAND: The Kouvola Rail & Road Terminal has been completed, roughly equidistant from the Russian border and the port of Helsinki and near to the ports of Hamina and Kotka. The terminal has been developed by the city of Kouvola, which says it is Finland’s first ...
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NewsTimber wagon shunter delivered
FINLAND: Forestry company Metsä Group has taken delivery of the first of two Windhoff Bahn & Anlagentechnik TeleTrac RW100EM-DT shunting machines for moving timber wagons at its Kemi pulp and paper mill. The fully electric shunters have two cable-connected 50 tonne sections ...
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NewsOperail agrees sale of Finnish rail freight business
FINLAND: Nurminen Logistics has signed an agreement to purchase the Finnish activities of Operail, the Estonian state freight operator which is divesting its non-core activities. Subject to Finnish regulatory approval of €27·7m sale and purchase agreement announced on January 13, the entire share capital of Operail ...
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NewsVR orders more night train rolling stock
FINLAND: National operator VR has selected Škoda Transtech to supply nine sleeping cars and eight car-carrying vans to enter service from the end of 2025.
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Metro Report InternationalMetro extension opens in Espoo
FINLAND: A 7 km extension of the Helsinki metro network west from Matinkylä to Kivenlahti within the neighbouring city of Espoo opened on December 3. Espoo Mayor Jukka Mäkelä and Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen arrived at the opening ceremony at Espoonlahti station via the new extension. ...
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Metro Report InternationalSpeeding up tunnel cleaning on the Helsinki metro
FINLAND: A wall-washing wagon has been produced which can cover 2 km of Helsinki metro tunnel during a single night shift. The metro’s tunnels, including the walls, ceilings, rails, equipment housings, fire doors and escape routes, are washed once a year. The process usually takes around ...
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NewsCommuter trains to combine Finnish design with Swiss engineering
FINLAND: National operator VR has awarded Stadler a €250m contract to supply 20 electric multiple-units for entry into service on commuter routes from spring 2026, with options for 50 more and full maintenance. VR’s three priorities when tendering the contract were energy efficiency, a proven track ...
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In depthLight rail: Ridership bounces back as Nordic cities embrace the tram
The Covid-19 pandemic caused some cities across Scandinavia to question future investment in light rail, but a strong ridership recovery means the case for projects remains strong across much of the region.
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NewsVR selects preferred bidder for EMU order
FINLAND: National operator VR has selected Stadler Bussnang as preferred bidder to supply 20 electric multiple-units. The contract worth around €250m would include the supply of spare parts, tools, training and documentation, along with options to purchase up to 50 additional EMUs and maintenance services. Stadler ...