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A Road Accident Investigation Team will probe Monday's fatal dogsled crash in Tornio, Finnish Lapland. Two Italian youths died when a train collided with their sled, pulled by six dogs. The youth were among an 18-person group taking part in a dog safari organised by a Finnish company.
The accident occurred just before 7 pm in Korpikylä, about 35 kilometres north of Tornio centre. A 14-year-old girl and an 17-year-old boy were killed instantly in the collision. They were in the last of eight sledges, carrying a total of 18 tourists including their parents. No one else was injured in the incident.
Crisis assistance was organised for survivors in nearby Haparanda, Sweden. Tornio police say that the involvement of a Road Accident Investigation Team in this type of accident is unusual.
The cause of the accident remains unclear. The passenger train was an extra holiday train, but it was running on time and the schedule had been published far in advance.
Accident-Plagued Tourist Season
Local officials say the dogsled safari operator had failed to provide the Consumer Agency with a safety plan as required by law.
Less than two years ago, four people were killed at a nearby railroad crossing when their car was struck by a train.
Six other people have been injured in Christmas-holiday tourist accidents in Lapland during the past couple of weeks. In mid-December, two children were hit by a British woman driving a nowmobile, and four British tourists fell to the tarmac while disembarking from an airplane in Rovaniemi.
The Christmas and New Year's period is one of the busiest for Lapland's tourism industry.
Source YLE News 27.12
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id24365.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3 with browser Mozilla/4.8 [en] (Win98; U)
In June, VR concluded an agreement with the Russia-based Transkonteiner company for the initialisation of a container train connection between Finland and Moscow.
- The connection's operative details were worked out in September. The objective is to finalise time schedules and other details during October so that traffic can begin in November, says VR Cargo's Marketing Manager in charge of international custom Matti Andersson.
In the initial stage one scheduled train per week will operate between Finland and Moscow; additional trains will be added as required.
- Transkonteiner guarantees that enough wagons will be available, Andersson explains.
In Moscow, Transkonteiner will manage the shipments' customs formalities and expediting to the destination terminal. In Andersson's opinion this is extremely important regarding the train concept's future; previously the transport of duty-free containers has been extremely complicated in Moscow.
VR Cargo and Transkonteiner sell and market container train services. Container builders and forwarding agents are expected to be the main customers.
Source Transpress
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/cargo/tp_32005_1.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8) Gecko/20051111 Firefox/1.5
Rail journeys will speed up considerably next September in different parts of Finland when the direct line between Kerava and Lahti is completed. Services from eastern Finland to Helsinki will gain the biggest reductions in journey times. In addition, the Helsinki-Tampere and Helsinki-Jyväskylä services will also improve significantly. This is the most significant upgrade in rail services in Finland for decades.
Journey times to eastern Finland will be cut at one stroke by between half an hour and one hour. New fast Pendolino and InterCity services will be introduced in different parts of the country, particularly at popular departure times in the morning and afternoon. The number of long-distance train services will increase by five per cent. Connections to Helsinki-Vantaa airport will improve notably.
By next autumn, all the new rolling stock purchased by VR in recent years will be in service. After this, long-distance services in southern Finland will be operated almost entirely by InterCity and Pendolino trains. At the same time the number of express trains will decline.
Numbers of passengers in VR's long-distance trains have risen encouragingly this year. By the end of October 314 000 more journeys had been made in long-distance trains than during the corresponding period last year, which means growth of more than three per cent.
Biggest cuts in time on routes in eastern Finland
Journey times from eastern Finland will be reduced most. Pendolino journeys from Kuopio and Kajaani to Helsinki will take about an hour less and from Mikkeli and Joensuu about 45 minutes less. Journeys from Lahti, Kouvola, Imatra, Lappeenranta and Savonlinna will speed up by half an hour. Trains to and from Russia will also see 20 minutes cut from their times.
The journey time from Kajaani to Helsinki will be cut by a further 15 minutes in January 2007, when track electrification is completed and Pendolino services expand to Kajaani.
The faster times are made possible by the Lahti direct line and the new faster rolling stock. The direct line will save about half an hour in travelling time. In addition the highest permitted speed between Tikkurila and Kerava will rise to 200 kilometres an hour, the same as on the Kerava-Tampere stretch. Speeds will also rise on a few sections of the Savo line, the Karelia line, and between Tampere and Pieksämäki.
More Pendolino and InterCity services
Additional fast rail services will be introduced in different parts of the country at convenient departure times. Pendolino services will increase most from Tampere, Jyväskylä and Lahti to Helsinki. On these routes the number of services will roughly double.
For example, from next September there will be 13 daily Pendolino services between Jyväskylä and Helsinki, compared with five today. The journey to Helsinki will be cut by about ten minutes from Jyväskylä and by a few minutes from Tampere.
The number of InterCity trains will increase especially from Tampere and Kouvola to Helsinki. Starting next autumn there will be 36 IC and IC2 services between Tampere and Helsinki daily, four more than at present. On the Kouvola route, the number of InterCity trains will rise to 25, compared to 17 at the moment. IC2 trains will also be introduced on the route.
Smoother connections
Connections with the Pendolino trains will be improved, which will reduce overall journey times. For example, almost every train from Pori will have a convenient connection with a Pendolino train in Tampere. The connections will also work on return journeys.
The popular morning service from Vaasa to Helsinki and similarly the return journey in the afternoon will be more than half an hour faster. The direct InterCity service will be replaced by a regional train with a change to a Pendolino in Seinäjoki. There will also be one direct IC service to Vaasa daily.
Faster connections to airport
Train journeys to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and to the business and residential areas concentrated by the main line will speed up when all Pendolino trains start to stop in Tikkurila. The trains to and from Russia will also stop in Tikkurila.
There is a bus connection from Tikkurila to the airport at 10-15 minute intervals on weekdays. The bus stop and taxi rank are beside the platforms. The journey from Tampere to the airport takes about one and a half hours. From Mikkeli travelling time to the airport is two and a half hours and from Lappeenranta just over two hours.
The number of customers at Tikkurila station has risen sharply in recent years. Last year the number of passengers increased 15 per cent. Tikkurila is now also becoming a station for changing trains for passengers on fast trains coming from the north and travelling to the east.
All new rolling stock in use
Next autumn VR will have in service all the rolling stock it has ordered in recent years. VR has spent altogether almost EUR 530 million on passenger rolling stock during the 2000s. Next year one more Pendolino train, railcars and double-decker sleeping cars will be taken into service.
The new rolling stock means an improvement in passenger comfort and the level of service on the trains. The trains are air-conditioned and quiet, and for example they have electric sockets for laptop computers. The trains have a wide range of services for different categories of customers, such as families and the handicapped.
The railcar services on track sections with little traffic will expand on 7 December 2005 to the Iisalmi-Ylivieska route and from early in 2006 to the Savonlinna-Parikkala, Tampere-Haapamäki and Karjaa-Hanko routes. In addition some of the services between Jyväskylä and Seinäjoki will be replaced by railcars as from 3 September. The number of railcar services to and from Savonlinna will also more than double then, to ten services a day.
In the autumn an overnight service will start to operate on the Rovaniemi route that consists mainly of the new double decker sleeping cars and car-carriers. One of the two overnight services will have blue rolling stock.
Changes in stops and routes
The Pendolino trains will in future no longer stop in Hämeenlinna. The reasons for this are that Pendolino services are being concentrated on longer routes, the creation of connections to east-west fast services in Tikkurila, and developments in the number of Pendolino passengers in Hämeenlinna in recent years.
There is an InterCity train once an hour from Hämeenlinna to Helsinki, which takes less than ten minutes longer than the Pendolino. In addition, especially during peak hours, there are regional trains as well.
Trains will no longer stop in five places next autumn due to the small number of passengers. The places are Taavetti, Jalasjärvi, Härmä, Kuivaniemi and Ii.
VR has a contract with the Ministry of Transport and Communications for overnight rail services from Turku to Joensuu and from Helsinki via Pieksämäki to Oulu up until 2 September 2006. The continuation of the services depends on budget allocations.
The direct overnight service to Kemijärvi will end on 3 September 2006. The new rolling stock cannot be used on the non-electrified track section, but it is planned to operate the service from Rovaniemi to Kemijärvi with a connecting train.
Source VR news 29.11
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#291105
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 193.234.247.50
The Finnish Rail Administration has proposed increased funding for the maintenance of tracks with relatively little traffic. It hopes this will help keep rural communities connected to Finland's economic centres.
Under the proposal, quiet tracks would benefit from a financing package worth over 170 million euros. The money would go to overhauling tracks in poor condition, even repairing tracks due for decommissioning.
The fate of some tracks, such as those scheduled for demolition in Lapland, won't be certain until Finland discusses with its neighbours on the future of cross-border rail lines.
The Rail Administration says that maintenance of little-used tracks is important as a way of securing the competitiveness of remote regions.
Source YLE News 1. Dec
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id22690.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3
State railroad company, VR, is investigating rail accidents which have occurred over the past three years. The plan responds to the tragic rail-crossing accident claiming two lives in Kälviä earlier this month.
The investigation encompasses all major and minor accidents, according to the newspaper Pohjolainen. Most accidents happen at railroad crossings. VR, however, believes other factors may be involved.
Officials hope interviewing survivors of less serious accidents will offer valuable information into the causes of the accident. Furthermore, not all railroad crashes have been unintentional. The nvestigation, however, will handle all deaths as accidents. The Accident Investigation Board of Finland is carrying out the task. Such a large scale investigation has not been done before in Finland. The research, which has already begun, will be completed in about a year.
Source YLE 25.11
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id22267.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3
VR received no tenders that met the difficult terms for building and leasing 20 InterCity coaches by the deadline at the end of October.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications signed a letter of intent with VR on 4 November, under which the Ministry makes the commitment if necessary for 25 years to purchase unprofitable InterCity services. This agreement makes it possible to ease the delivery terms for the new coaches.
VR is now launching a new competitive tender for building and leasing 20 coaches, in accordance with the EU directive on public procurement. The period for making the tenders ends on 9 January 2006. VR aims to make the procurement decision during January.
Source VR news 7th Nov
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#71105b
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3
Two men were killed at a railroad crossing near the town of Kälviä, in central Ostrobothnia.
The accident happened at 6:30 in the morning on Thursday, when a Pendolino train struck an animal haulage lorry. Five cows were also killed.
None of the train's fifty passengers were hurt. The train conductor tried to stop the train in time, but was unable to do so. When it became apparent that he could no longer avoid a collision, he retreated from the control room.
Train traffic has been cut between Kokkola and Kannus. Buses are replacing train services on the line until Thursday afternoon.
This will also affect trains from Kokkola to Rovaniemi, for which busses will replace part of the journey.
Source YLE News 10.11
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id21144.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 193.234.247.50
Pendolino services are expanding on 7 November to the Helsinki- Joensuu route. Additions to existing train services will be a new morning Pendolino service from Joensuu to Helsinki and an afternoon service in the opposite direction. Following the opening of the Joensuu route, Pendolino services will cover all main routes in Finland.
The Pendolino leaves Joensuu Mondays to Saturdays at 5.27 am and arrives in Helsinki at 10.26 am. In Kouvola the train is linked to the Pendolino coming from Savo.
The Pendolino leaves Helsinki Mondays to Fridays and Sundays at 14.00 with a single trainset. The train arrives in Joensuu at 19.22.
En route the Pendolino stops in Parikkala, Imatra, Lappeenranta, Kouvola, Lahti, Riihimäki, Tikkurila and Pasila.
Faster journey times in autumn 2006
The Pendolino leaving Joensuu in the morning is a quarter of an hour faster than the next IC train making the journey. The journey time for the Pendolino in the evening to Joensuu, however, is slightly longer than for the IC train.
Travelling times will speed up in September 2006 once the direct line between Lahti and Kerava is completed. The journey time for the morning Pendolino service to Helsinki will then be cut by more than half an hour and for the evening service to Joensuu by almost an hour.
The new trains are now being taken into service in the middle of the timetable period, and it is not possible to alter the entire train service schedule at this point. In planning the timetables it has also been necessary to take into account the fact that the Luumäki - Joensuu track is single track and has much freight traffic.
10 years of Pendolino services
Pendolino services started in Finland 10 years ago. The first Pendolino started operating between Helsinki and Turku on 27 November 1995. Since then Pendolinos have also entered service on the routes to Oulu via Tampere, to Kuopio via Jyväskylä and to Iisalmi via Kouvola.
Pendolinos have been added to the main routes as new rolling stock has been taken into service. Once the service expands in November to Joensuu, there will be a total of 24 Pendolino train services a day.
At present VR has 16 Pendolino trains in service and one being fitted out in Turku. The 18th and final Pendolino will arrive in Finland next year. Last year 793 000 passengers travelled on Pendolino trains.
Services for business travellers
Pendolino trains are manufactured by the French company Alstom. The tilting trains have a top speed of 220 kilometres an hour, but they travel on all routes in accordance with the speed limits permitted by that section of track.
The Pendolino has 309 seats. Particular attention has been paid to business travellers, and they have a separate Business class coach. This contains two separate compartments and a meeting room for seven people. Business class has a total of 47 seats.
The Pendolino Business compartment has a self-service counter with coffee, tea and snacks. The price of a Pendolino Business Plus ticket includes breakfast, lunch or supper served at the seat. Both Business compartments are fully licensed and have newspapers and radio headphones. Each seat has its own electric socket.
The Pendolino restaurant car has seating for 22 persons and a stand-up area. Take-away food portions can be ordered in the restaurant car and the train also has a trolley service.
The train was designed by the Italian company Giugiaro Design. Particular attention was paid to durability and non-allergic properties in the choice of furnishing materials.
Source VR news 28th Oct
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#281005
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3
The labour dispute in the forest industry reduced VR's freight traffic during the summer. During the dispute, forest industry carryings fell to below half those in the previous year and domestic carryings in total declined 15.7 % in the January-August period. In contrast, rail travel continued to grow. The number of journeys increased in January-August by 4.9 % from the previous year.
The production stoppage in the forest industry weakened VR Group's net profit by some M€ 17. Lower pension costs and depreciation were some of the factors that improved the net result.
VR Group's net turnover between January and August 2005 totalled M€ 771.5 (M€ 756.3). The operating profit was M€ 23.7 (M€ 20.5) and the net profit was M€ 19.2 (M€ 21.2).
Rail travel on the increase
The number of passenger journeys in long-distance rail services increased 2.6 % and in commuter traffic in the Greater Helsinki area 5.5 % from the previous year. The number of commuter journeys increased by 6.0 % in the YTV zone - the zone administered by the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen) - and outside this zone, in commuter traffic operated by VR, by 3.5 %.
The punctuality of rail services remained good. In long-distance services, 91 % of trains arrived on schedule or at most five minutes late. In commuter services, 98 % of the trains were on schedule or at most three minutes late.
Rise in cross-border freight traffic with Russia
VR's freight carryings across the Russian border increased 6.1 % in the January-August period. Traffic between Finland and Russia increased 5.8 % and transit traffic through Finland 7.3 %.
Most of the imports from Russia were round timber. Petroleum products continued to be the largest group in transit traffic. Imports of petroleum products continued to fall, since Russian ports have raised their capacity and Russia's pricing policy favours traffic to the country's own ports over international rail traffic.
Increase in capital expenditure
VR continued to upgrade its rail stock. Capital expenditure totalled M€ 140.3 (M€ 74.8). Most of this went on Pendolino trains and the city trains for the Helsinki area ordered previously. No decisions were taken on major new orders.
The number of VR Group employees decreased 4.0 % from the previous year. During the January-August period the group employed on average 12,800 people.
Source VR 13th October
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#131005
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 193.234.247.50
Nearly one in two of the trams now standing idle in depots
All forty of the low-carriage trams ordered by Helsinki from German manufacturer Bombardier some years ago will be repaired in Germany over the next two years. The first repaired tram will arrive back in Helsinki in March 2006. The transportation of inoperative and faulty equipment will begin immediately. Bombardier aims to complete the refit of all the low-carriage trams by August 2007.
The goal is to have all the rolling stock operating perfectly after the city has accepted the delivery. Helsinki City Transport (HKL) is currently evaluating the repair plan.
The repair work will be conducted on a tight schedule. Bombardier's intention is to deliver the fixed trams to Helsinki at a rate of one a week.
"This has been our proposal to the HKL. We believe this timetable is realistic", says managing director Kenneth Granholm from Bombardier Transportation Finland.
Helsinki City Transport is optimistic about the proposed timetable from the professional point of view. However, there is a degree of scepticism.
"The schedule is extremely tight. We'll see whether it will prove to be realistic only when the work gets under way", says director Timo Ketola from the Helsinki City Transport Tram Traffic Unit.
Bombardier has discovered numerous technical faults in driving tests conducted in Helsinki. The results have been studied in Germany and have enabled the manufacturer to analyse thoroughly the strains the low-carriage trams are exposed to. Bombardier has now produced a new endurance estimate of the tram parts alongside evaluating what type of reinforcements the components would need in order to meet the vehicles' 40-year operating requirements.
The low-carriage trams will be inspected carefully in Germany before being dismantled, repaired, and reassembled. This will be followed by test drives before shipment back to Finland. Bombardier's goal is to solve all the listed faults at once. The low-carriage trams have particularly suffered from technical difficulties related to the bogies and from module cracks caused by the strain.
Currently 17 low-carriage trams are standing idle at the tram depot. They will be sent to Germany first. The topic is not a new one - HKL has been expressing its displeasure at the new fleet almost since its arrival. Some months ago, the unit announced it was planning to buy a number of second-hand trams - also from Germany - in order to guarantee services while the new Bombardiers were off the rails.
Source HS International edition 30.9
Source WWW
http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/article/Fault+ridden+Helsinki+trams+will+be+repaired+in+Germany+on+a+tight+schedule%0D%0A/1101981125934
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3
Train traffic between Tampere and Turku has returned to normal. Rail traffic was suspended for a few hours on Tuesday because of a fallen power cable.
Busses made up for the stalled train traffic between the two cities until trains were able to resume the route. The fallen cable caused a power failure on an 18-kilometer stretch of track between Urjala and Humppila.
Source YLE 5.7
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id14239.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3
Night train services between Turku and Joensuu, and from Helsinki and Kajaani could soon be a thing of the past. A government working group is proposing to cut taxpayers' subsidies for the services. The working group's proposals could lead to the end of major inter-city night train services in Finland within 12 months.
The proposal comes as state subsidies for public transport are coming under scrutiny and public services suitable for savings or privatisation are being identified.
Possible alternative options for funding night services on public transport might include replacing state subsidies with money from local authorities. However, these remain to be agreed.
Cuts in train fares in the Helsinki area are also called for by the Ministry of Transport and Communications' working group, as a means of encouraging more use of public transport in the capital region.
Secretary of State Pentti Rauhio has presented the group's findings to the Minister of Transport and Communications, Leena Luhtanen.
Source Yle 24 News
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id12971.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 193.234.247.50
VR Group's net turnover between January and April 2005 totalled M€ 373.8 (M€ 363.1). The operating profit was M€ 6.0 (M€ -1.2) and the net profit was M€ 5.5 (M€ +0). The improvement in the net profit was due to higher earnings and an increase in cost efficiency. The number of rail journeys rose clearly in the first part of the year, but domestic goods traffic declined from the previous year.
The operating profit improved most in rail services. Track work recorded a net loss in the first part of the year as in previous years, since very little construction work takes place on the state-owned track network during the winter. This also weakens the net profit for the whole group in the first part of the year.
The number of passenger journeys made by rail increased by 4.4 % to a total of 21.4 million. Long-distance services saw an increase of 1.7 % in passenger journeys from the previous year. The average length of long-distance journeys rose slightly, to 217 kilometres. Commuter traffic in the Greater Helsinki area grew by 5.0 %.
Freight tonnage carried by rail increased by well over one per cent compared to the January-April period in the previous year, totalling 15.2 million tonnes. Domestic rail carryings declined by 3.1 %. One reason for this was the labour disputes in ports and the forest industry that started in April. In contrast, freight traffic to and from Russia increased by 8.6 %, including transit traffic through Finland.
The labour conflict in the forest industry, which broadened after the close of the review period, reduced the consolidated net profit in April-May by over M€ 5. If the dispute continues, it will affect the net profit by some M€ 10 a month.
The number of employees decreased 4.2 %. The group employed in total 13,670 persons
The replacement of rolling stock continued apace. Capital expenditure during January to April amounted to some M€ 81 (M€ 30.2). Most of this was for Pendolino trains and for commuter trains in the Greater Helsinki area.
Source VR News 9th June
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#090605
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 193.234.247.50
Pendolino services are expanding on 5 June to the Helsinki-Lahti-Kouvola-Mikkeli-Iisalmi route when Pendolinos will take over three services currently operated by InterCity trains.
The Pendolino trains are taking over the following services: the IC train leaving Helsinki at 18.34, arriving in Iisalmi at 00.40, and the IC train that leaves Iisalmi at 4.25 and arrives in Helsinki at 10.26. The Pendolino from Helsinki does not run on Saturdays and the Pendolino from Iisalmi does not run on Sundays.
In addition the IC train leaving Kuopio at 11.13 for Helsinki will become a Pendolino train. The new departure time from Kuopio is 10.47 and the train arrives in Helsinki at 16.26.
The timetables for the Pendolino services are changing slightly from the current IC train timetables, but the journey times will for the time being remain unchanged. The journey time for the Pendolino train from Kuopio on Sundays will be longer during the summer because of work on the track, but will return to its current time in September once the work has been completed.
Faster journey times in autumn 2006
The next new Pendolino service will be introduced from Helsinki to Joensuu towards the end of this year. VR is aiming to have the Pendolino network of services cover all main routes by the time the direct line between Lahti and Kerava is completed in autumn 2006. Journey times will then be cut between Helsinki and Kouvola by about half an hour and between Helsinki and Kuopio by almost one hour.
Pendolinos have until now operated on the routes from Helsinki to Turku, to Oulu via Tampere and to Kuopio via Jyväskylä. Pendolino trains are being added to the main routes as new rolling stock becomes available.
Services for business travellers
Business travellers are a particular focus of attention on Pendolino trains and they have a separate Business class coach. This contains two separate compartments and a meeting room for seven people, with a total of 47 seats.
The Pendolino Business compartment has a self-service counter with coffee, tea and snacks. The Pendolino Business Plus ticket includes a breakfast, lunch or supper served at the seat. Both Business compartments are fully licensed and have newspapers and radio headphones. Each seat has its own electric socket.
The Pendolino restaurant car has seating for 22 persons and a stand-up area. Take-away food portions can also be ordered in the restaurant car and the train also has a trolley service.
The train has a total of 309 seats. The Pendolino was designed by the Italian company Giugiaro Design. Particular attention was paid to durability and non-allergic properties in the choice of furnishing materials.
VR to have 18 Pendolino trains in 2006
Pendolino services began in Finland 10 years ago. When the services are expanded in June, there will be a total of 22 Pendolino departures. Last year 793,000 passengers travelled in Pendolino trains.
At present VR has 15 Pendolino trains. VR ordered eight new trainsets in 2002 from Alstom Ferroviaria. All the new trains will reach Finland by the autumn of 2006, when VR will have 18 Pendolinos.
Source VR News 2th June
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#020605
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 193.234.247.50
Testing of the first new railcar has been completed and the railcar will be put into service between the towns of Joensuu and Pieksämäki on 17 May this year.
The railcar will initially replace four locomotive-driven train services: the 17.50 departure from Joensuu and the 15.12 and 20.57 departures from Pieksämäki between Monday and Thursday, and the 6.55 departure from Joensuu between Tuesday and Friday.
From early autumn the railcar will handle all local services on the Joensuu-Pieksämäki line in both directions between Monday and Thursday. Weekend services will be added later in the autumn as more railcars are put into service and these can be coupled together.
Railcar services are also scheduled to start between Joensuu and Nurmes later in the year, followed by services between Iisalmi and Ylivieska and, in early 2006, on the Karjaa-Hanko, Savonlinna-Parikkala and Tampere-Haapamäki lines.
16 railcars by March 2006
VR has ordered 16 railcars from ÈKD Vagonka in the Czech Republic. They are intended for low-traffic lines which are currently serviced by locomotive-driven trains. The remaining 15 units in the series will be delivered from September 2005 and all the railcars are due to be in Finland by March 2006. The total value of the purchase contract is EUR 26.5 million.
Equipped with two diesel engines, the railcar can be driven in both directions as each end has its own control cab. The railcar has three passenger compartments separated by two foyers, providing seating for 63 people and standing room for a further 60 passengers. The railcar's top speed is 120 km/h. Two or three railcars can be coupled together if needed.
The compartment at one end of the railcar also has space for passengers in wheelchairs and for children's prams. The same compartment also has a toilet with wheelchair access. Bicycles can be carried in the foyer. Passengers with pets can travel in the compartment at the other end of the railcar.
Both foyers have a ticket stamping machine and passengers can also have their tickets stamped by the conductor.
25,000 test kilometres
The first railcar arrived in Finland from the Czech Republic in December 2004. Type tests have been performed during the winter and spring and the railcar has been in trial service. Roughly 25,000 kilometres have been driven between Pieksämäki and Joensuu and between Pieksmäki and äIisalmi to ensure the railcar's reliability, also in winter conditions. This period has also been used to train the railcar drivers, conductors and service personnel.
The trial runs and type tests have proceeded well and the railcar has performed reliably.
The railcar will be withdrawn from service for the first two weeks of July for agreed modifications. All train services between Joensuu and Pieksämäki during this period will be handled by locomotive-driven trains.
Source VR news 16.5
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#160505
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 193.234.247.50
VR Group's net profit in 2004 totalled EUR 51.7 million, compared with EUR 41.3 million the year before. The operating profit was EUR 62.8 (53.0) million. The improvement in profits was due to enhanced cost-efficiency. Net turnover amounted to EUR 1,178.9 (1,160.5) million, with an increase in passenger services and track construction and maintenance but a decline in freight services due to the decrease in traffic from Russia. The Group's financial position and liquidity remained good.
Freight services recorded a net turnover of EUR 348.2 (351.8) million and total carryings of 42.7 million of freight during 2004, a decline of 1.9%. Domestic carryings rose 5.1% from the previous year to a record level of 26.3 million tonnes. Carryings in the largest segment, the forest industry, increased by 6.7%, while metal industry carryings were down 0.5% and chemical industry carryings increased 6.5%.
Traffic between Finland and Russia fell 12.9%, totalling 15.3 million tonnes. Transit traffic via Finland accounted for 3.2 million tonnes of this. Transit traffic remained unchanged from the previous year, but traffic between Finland and Russia fell considerably. This was due to the pricing policy of Russian railways, which favours carryings to Russia's own ports. Container traffic to and from East Asia via the Trans-Siberia line continued to grow strongly, with a rise of 24.1%.
The net turnover of passenger services totalled EUR 304.4 (296.9) million and the number of passenger journeys rose to 60.1 million, an increase of 0.4% from 2003. The total number of long-distance journeys was 12.1 million and of commuter journeys in the Greater Helsinki region 48.0 million.
Growth in long-distance traffic was 1.8%. Discount prices offered by airlines continued to reduce the number of rail journeys on longer routes. The total number of journeys in commuter traffic in the Greater Helsinki region remained unchanged from the previous year. The number of journeys declined 0.6% in the area administered by the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo, Kauniainen), but increased 2.4% outside it.
The net turnover of track construction and maintenance was EUR 235.5 (215.4) million. Just over 90% of this came from contracts awarded by the Finnish Rail Administration, which is responsible for managing the national rail network.
The largest superstructure projects during the year were on the Kokemäki-Rauma, Luumäki-Lappeenranta, Rovaniemi-Kemijärvi, Oulu-Kokkola, Pieksämäki-Kuopio and Siilinjärvi-Viinijärvi lines. Superstructure was upgraded on altogether 250 kilometres of railway line.
The superstructure work, electrification and installation of signalling equipment continued on the direct Kerava-Lahti line. VR has a 20% share of all the work on this line.
he Group's capital expenditure amounted to EUR 180.0 (151.5) million, which included EUR 140.5 (94.5) million for rolling stock for VR Ltd. A major part of this expenditure was for deliveries of Pendolino and commuter trains.
Source VR March 17th
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#170305
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 193.234.247.50
The Ministry of Transport and Communications is considering the elimination of a number of unprofitable train services in different parts of the country. Some passenger routes are to be shut down completely. The cutbacks are seen as necessary, because the EUR 37 million earmarked by the Transport Ministry for rail services is not enough to pay for all of the unprofitable services of the national rail company VR that are currently being financed from the ministry's budget. Final decisions on rail service subsidies are to be made by the government in March.
More than ten passenger services face cutbacks, and routes in danger of being shut down completely can be found around the country. Nearly half of Finland's rail services are unprofitable, ranging from commuter services in the Helsinki region to long-haul services in Eastern and Northern Finland. Especially unprofitable are night trains, many of which are to be cancelled because of a lack of passengers.
Finland's rail budget is also being stretched by major acquisitions of new rolling stock and the completion of a new, shorter rail line from Kerava to Lahti, which is set to considerably shorten travel time between Lahti and Helsinki. There had been plans to cut back on planned passenger services on the new Helsinki-Lahti route, but Leena Luhtanen (SDP), the Minister of Transport and Communications, said that those services would be the last to be cut. On Friday morning Luhtanen emphasised that no decisions had been made on cutbacks in passenger services financed by the ministry. She emphasised that discussions on the matter are still underway with VR.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications is preparing a cost-benefit analysis as a basis for decision-making on which services should be cut, and which should be retained.
Source HS International edition 25.2
Source WWW
http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/article/1101978659991
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3
A stuck commuter train caused delays in Espoo and surrounding areas on Friday afternoon and evening.
Passenger trains to and from Espoo centre and Kirkkonummi were delayed, but trains from Leppävaara in Espoo were operating as normal.
The accident happened during rush hour on Friday afternoon. Rail service was delayed by about a half an hour until around 7 p.m. The train, which was stuck at Espoo station, was removed about an hour after the incident. There were no injuries.
Emergency braking is believed to have been the cause of the problem. Officials launched an investigation.
Source YLE 25.2
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id7887.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.128.3
Rail passengers are up in arms about deficiencies in the high speed Pendolino services and have complained to Finnish State Railways VR.
A group of passengers from Tampere handed over details of persistently late arrivals, recurring technical faults and on the lack of information given about delays.
The passengers are demanding clear rules on compensation for delays caused by late train services.
VR brought the high speed Pendolino rolling stock with a maximum speed of 220 km/hrm, into use in 1995. At first services were bedeviled by technical teething troubles. Currently, VR operates Pendolinp trains, for example, to Turku, Tampere and Oulu.
Source YLE 14.2
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id7285.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.57
Heavy snowfall and high winds over the weekend hampered traffic until Monday morning. No serious accidents or injuries were reported, but traffic was halted on roads and railways as well as at some airports.
Delays occurred even in long-distance rail passenger traffic, particularly in the Savo and Karelia region. For example, the night train from Oulu to Helsinki was almost one and a half hours late. According to VR (Finnish Railways), snowfall and dampness that was caused by rising temperatures led to electric failures even in commuter trains in the Helsinki region on Monday morning. A dozen cars were taken out of service, and hence the trains were shorter than normally, and some scheduled departures had to be taken out.
Source HS International edition 1.2
Source WWW
http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/article/1101978423486
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.53
The total number of passenger journeys reached a record level of 60.1 million journeys last year. The number of passenger journeys in long-distance rail traffic rose by 1.8%. The number of journeys on commuter services remained unchanged. Domestic freight carryings increased 5.1%, but total freight volumes fell as a result of the decline in traffic between Russia and Finland.
Altogether 12.1 million journeys were made in long-distance traffic compared with 11.9 million in the previous year. Approximately 252,000 journeys were made in traffic between Finland and Russia, a decrease of 1.3% from 2003.
The number of passenger journeys in the area administered by the Helsinki metropolitan area council declined by 0.6%, to 38.2 million. Outside this area, the number of commuter rail journeys in the Helsinki area increased by 2.4% to 9.8 million.
Altogether 42.7 million tonnes of freight were carried by rail during 2004, compared to the previous year's total of 43.5 million tonnes. Total carryings declined 1.9%. Domestic carryings increased, however, rising to 26.3 million tonnes.
Freight traffic between Finland and Russia declined 15.8%, falling to 12.1 million tonnes. The volume of transit freight traffic via Finland to other countries remained unchanged from the previous year at 3.2 million tonnes.
The amount of freight transported west by rail-ferry and the Tornio station in northern Finland was 1.1 million tonnes, an increase of 16.5%.
VR-Track Ltd carried out track construction and improvement on a total of 340 kilometres of track. This is 20% more than in the previous year.
VR-Track's largest worksites were the superstructure work and electrification on the direct line between Kerava and Lahti, superstructure work between Luumäki and Lappeenranta, replacing sleepers and track laying on the Ostrabothnia line, and replacing sleepers on the Savo line. The installation of automatic train protection systems also continued in Northern and Eastern Finland.
Source VR News 19.1
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/yhtyma/uuttae.html#190105
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.53
From January 9, two Pendolino trains were introduced: at 9.30 from Helsinki to Oulu and at 14.32 from Oulu to Helsinki. Moreover the travel time of the S57 Pendolino from Helsinki to Oulu at 18.20 is cut by 10 minutes and the travel time of the S48 Pendolino from Oulu to Helsinki at 4.45, by 14 minutes.
New time table also means about 15 minutes faster trains between Helsinki and Joensuu. This is because slack in time table because of track work was removed.
It is planned to increased Pendolino services in the next few years, for example to the Savo line in eastern Finland and to Joensuu. The goal, when the direct line between Lahti and Kerava is completed in autumn 2006, is for the Pendolino network of services to cover all main routes.
At present VR has 11 Pendolino trains. VR ordered eight new trainsets in 2002 from Alstom Ferroviaria. The order is related to the agreement signed in 1997 which gave VR an option on extra trains in addition to the ten it had ordered previously.
All the new trains will reach Finland by the autumn of 2006. VR will then have 18 Pendolinos.
Source VR
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/heo/eng/junat/pendolino.htm
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.56
Höyryveturimatkat aka Steam Trains is selling its rolling stock. Steam Trains is stelling two locomotives and eigth carriages. Locomotives include class Hr1 "Ukko-Pekka" number 1009 and class Tk3 1151. Carriages include also three restaurant coaches, which were built from three finnish old wooden passenger coaches in England during 1990es.
Owner of Steam Trains, Nigel Sill, bougth the rolling stock in year 1989. The rolling stock has been used mainly in charter trains in Finland. On some year Santa Claus traveled on steam train from Kerava to Helsinki month before Christmas. Number 1151 (currently 1819) has featured in two films, 'Anna Karenina' and 'Nikolai II', as well as numerous advertising videos. Steam Trains is selling the rolling stock for 600 000 pounds, about 895 000 euros.
Source Steam Traction
Source WWW
http://www.steamtraction.co.uk/Trainset%20For%20Sale.htm
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.56
In less than a year, over 100,000 tonnes of paper has travelled along the longest rail transport route in Finland running from Kemi to Hanko. At the event held to mark the occasion, Managing Director Anders Ahlvik of Hangö Stevedoring noted that transport speed is becoming an increasingly important factor to the paper industry as it faces intensifying competition.
"Industry players seek to beat their competitors to the market. VR Cargo, M-real and its associate Kemiart Lines together with Hangö Stevedoring have accordingly constructed an efficient transport pipeline that allows our customers to reach their end customers even faster than before," he said.
Source VR Cargo
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/cargo/tp_42004_1.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.56
Container traffic on the Trans-Siberian Railway between the Far east and Finland continues to grow. Year 2004 saw an increase of some 30 percent while year 2003 transport volume doubled.
Container traffic volume on the TSR came to some 100,000 TEU in 2003. On year 2004, traffic volume is expected to rise to 130,000 TEU. By the end of October, the figure already stood at 123,000 TEU.
The type of growth seen on the Trans-Siberian Railway is exceptional in the rail freight business.
"It is attributable to positive economic development in Russia. The figures also indicate the route is perceived as a practical mode of transport," comments Ilkka Seppänen, Director of Freight Services.
What's more, there seems to be no end in sight for this trend.
"The outlook for 2005 is excellent," Seppänen says.
Source VR Cargo
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/cargo/tp_42004_3.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.53
The Oulu terminal of the Vahala Group is open around the clock, every day of the year. The terminal in the Oritkari district of Oulu never closes its doors to consignments; in fact, it is the nerve centre for flows of goods throughout northern Finland. The Vahala Group has been utilising combined transport for ten years now.
The Vahala Group already had faith in combined transport back when other companies had yet to come to grips with the notion of transporting trucks by rail.
Today, some 5,500 Vahala lorries are transported by rail annually. The company seeks to transport its consignments by rail whenever possible. Oulu provides an excellent setting for this goal, as lorries departing the terminal can reach the combined transport terminal through an area closed to other traffic.
For the Vahala Group, combined transport spells savings. Transporting lorries on wagons reducesm expenditure on rolling stock; less road mileage translates into longer useful life. This also allows the Group to save on capital expenditure.
An additional benefit comes from the fact that trains can take on extra long articulated lorries that by law are prohibited in road traffic. On the roads, the length of an articulated lorry may not exceed 25.25 metres while lorries of lengths up to 55 metres can be transported by rail.
Source VR Cargo
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/cargo/tp_42004_4.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.57
The railway networks of EU Member States will be opened to international competition in 2007, at which time the European system of railways will also be harmonised in accordance with the so-called Interoperability Directive The Interoperability Directive concerns e.g. telematics applications in freight transport, which will provide all railway operators in the EU with equal opportunities to track trains and consignments throughout the Union.
VR Cargo's information systems are already capable of providing almost all the data required under the new Directive. Data can also be combined so as to pinpoint the specific location of a given consignment or container down to the individual wagon. This is a feature as yet lacking in most European systems.
Source VR Cargo
Source WWW
http://www.vr.fi/cargo/tp_42004_5.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 62.142.11.56
visits since Jan 15 2006.
Note that I don't work for VR.