Finnish Railway News - Year 2007Three latest piece of news also in WAP-format: http://wap.rautatie.com/. Use Reload-button to make sure you get the latest news. You can use this form to get latest piece of news by email when news page is updated.
Last updated Fri Jan 11 22:23:02 EET 2008
Helsinki City Transport (HKL) said Wednesday it was likely to install platform doors at some of the stations of its single-line underground system. HKL added the doors would improve passenger safety and comfort as they prevented falls from the platform and muffled train noise.
The plans to order platform doors are closely linked to HKL's project to automate the underground trains. Driverless trains are to be rolled out in 2012 at the earliest.
Source NewsRoom Finland 10.1
Source WWW
http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=17687&group=General
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Last year the number of train passengers jumped by 12 percent in Finland. The growth is attributed to both the direct line from Kerava to Lahti, and new, speedier locomotives. Antti Jaatinen, the director of passenger services at the Finnish State Railways VR, says there's been a record use of local and long-distance trains, as well as trains to Russia.
The popularity of public transport can also be seen in the capital region. Last year the number of passengers grew by five percent, largely due to more routes, like the cross-town bus service "Jokeri Line".
But not everyone is celebrating. Long-distance buses have steadily lost passengers over the years. Routes are being cancelled, and many people are now travelling by car on their long commutes to work.
The government, hoping to make public transportation more attractive in the coming years, has promised 10 million euros to develop public transport. Currently passenger cars constitute 85 percent of all transport in Finland.
Source Yle 7.1.2008
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id79316.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Finnish State Railways-VR was forced to transport some passengers by bus on Boxing Day after accidentally selling tickets for seats that did not exist on trains. A total of 170 tickets were sold for seats in three coaches that did not exist on the morning express from Joensuu to Helsinki.
VR was forced to arrange five buses to transport passengers to their destinations. A company spokesperson said human error was to blame for the mix up. Finnish State Railways says coach transfers are more complicated at weekends than during the week.
According to YLE Television News, passengers were annoyed at VR's handling of the incident.
Source Yle 26.12
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id78473.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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The Finnish rail operator VR is considering revising train fares to try and deal with high demand during peak travel periods. An article in the business daily Taloussanomat reports that VR has investigated pricing and discount rates in other countries, and is looking at the option of reducing ticket prices in the near future.
Already, VR sells sleeping and car places in the low season at cheaper rates than during peak travel periods.
VR's Long Distance Traffic Manager Ari Vanhanen emphasiss that no decisions have yet been made to change ticket prices.
The popularity of rail travel has grown since the completion of the direct line to Lahti. As a result, annual traffic on the route promises to be busier than ever.
Source Yle 21.12
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id78177.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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There will be three to six rolling stock operators in Finland in 2015, Miika Mäkitalo, a unit head at the Finnish Rail Administration (RHK), predicts in his doctoral thesis to be debated at the Tampere University of Technology on Friday. Mr Mäkitalo estimates that there will be more competition in freight traffic than expected.
Railway freight traffic was opened up to competition early this year. For the time being, competitors for the national railway company VR group have not cropped up.
Source NewsRoom Finland 7.12
Source WWW
http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=17473&group=Business
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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The Finnish State Railways, VR, plans to cut train carbon emissions in half by the end of 2012.
The company says it intends to improve train efficiency and instruct engine drivers on ecological driving practices. VR will also begin using green energy in electric trains at the start of next year.
VR has signed a contract with the power company Savon Voima for next year. The electricity sold to VR will be produced from renewable energy sources, like water, wind and wood-based biofuel. During the years 2009 and 2010, VR will purchase energy from Fortum hydroelectric power stations.
Trains Easier on the Environment
Carbon emissions from train traffic are already just a fraction of those produced by other forms of transportation. Trains also consume less energy than other means of transport. A train traveller produces one-fifth the level of carbon emissions than that of a car traveller.
In 2012, VR celebrates its 150th anniversary. In honour of the event, the company has made 12 environmental promises, including cutting carbon emissions and reducing energy use.
Source Yle 6.12
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id76855.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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VR has received the award for best innovation enhancing passenger comfort at the international railway interiors exposition. The recognition was given for children's playrooms in InterCity trains. The award was presented on 7 November in Cologne at Railway Interiors Expo.
A total of 25 innovations competed in the category won by VR. In all, 212 entries were submitted into the competition. Members of the jury come from 16 nationalities.
The railway interiors competition was held for the first time. The organiser of the event is UKIP Media & Events Ltd from United Kingdom.
New playrooms introduced in summer 2006
In the summer of 2006 VR introduced 28 double-deck coaches with renewed playrooms. The coaches are used in all InterCity and InterCity2 services. The playroom is located on the upper deck of the double-deck coach. Safety, cleanliness and visual appearance were central issues in planning.
Seats in the playroom compartment are reserved primarily for family passengers. VR quadrupled the area of the playroom and made a number of safety enhancing improvements.
The little travellers have especially enjoyed the fixed bead games. Other favourites in the playroom are children's books from publishing house Tammi. The playroom and the exterior of the coach are adorned by characters from the children's books Felix the Bunny, Myyrä and Risto Räppääjä.
Families with children are a growing customer group and they make up 20 % of all passengers. In 2006 a total of 656 000 journeys were made with VR family tickets meaning an over 4 % increase over the previous year. In 2007 the growth in family ticket sales amounts to nearly 4 %.
Source VR 8.11
Source WWW
http://www.vrgroup.fi/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_114.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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VR Group’s net profit in January – August 2007 rose to Meur 34.6 from Meur 23.4 in the corresponding period in the previous year. The increase in rail journeys was a major factor in this improvement. The net turnover of passenger services increased 9.9 %.
VR Group had a net turnover in the January-August period of Meur 869.6 (Meur 806.6). Operating profit was Meur 44.7 (Meur 30.9). The net profit for the review period was the best during this decade.
During January – August, the number of journeys increased by 2.3 % from the previous year in long-distance rail services and by 5.5 % in commuter traffic in the Greater Helsinki area. The number of journeys in the YTV zone (managed by the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council) increased 0.4 %, and the number of journeys outside this zone in VR’s zone services increased 28.0 %.
The growth figures for long-distance services and VR’s commuter services are not fully comparable with last year’s figures, since after the opening of the new Helsinki-Lahti direct line in September 2006 the commuter service area was expanded to include Lahti.
The total number of journeys made by rail was 43.9 million, an increase of 4.9 %. Passenger services net turnover rose to Meur 243.7.
Domestic freight carryings increased by 4.5 %. Growth was biggest in for-est industry carryings, 6.3 %. However the increase in domestic carryings was not sufficient to compensate for the decline in traffic between Finland and Russia. VR’s carryings to and from Russia fell by 22.1 % in January-August. The biggest decline was in round timber imports.
A total of 27.2 million tonnes of freight were transported by rail. Freight services net turnover declined 4.0 % to Meur 228.5.
Capital expenditure in the review period amounted to Meur 70.3 (Meur 72.5). The largest item was the construction of the maintenance building for long-distance trains in Ilmala.
Source VR 12.10
Source WWW
http://www.vrgroup.fi/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_113.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Chair of the Green League's parliamentary group Anni Sinnemäki wants to improve the appeal of train travel in Finland. She said a fundamental problem in the transport system exists when a trip to Oulu is cheaper by air than by train.
Sinnemäki said improving the appeal of train travel could be achieved by investing in faster tracks, new connections, new ways of organising local transport and cheaper train tickets. She voiced her opinion Saturday at a party meeting. The government's transport policy is to be decided on in February 2008.
Source Yle 22.9
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id70475.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Karelian Trains has ordered four high-speed trains from Alstom for the Helsinki – St Petersburg route. The trains will enter service in 2010. The order has a value of EUR 120 million. The project is financed by OKO Bank plc.
The goal is to reduce the travelling time between Helsinki and St Petersburg to about three hours from the present time for the journey of five and a half hours. It is planned to have four daily train services in both directions.
To speed up the journey to St Petersburg requires not only new rolling stock but also investments in the track in Finland and Russia. All the border formalities will also have to be carried out on board the moving train.
It is planned to improve the track section in Russia in 2007-2008. In Finland the Lahti-Luumäki track section will be ready in 2011.
The trains will have dual power systems, so that they can run on the track networks in Finland and Russia. The trains, which will have a top speed of 220 kilometres an hour, will have seven coaches and a total of 350 seats. The trains will have a restaurant, a business class, services for disabled passengers, and places for passengers travelling with pets.
Rail travel increasing between Finland and Russia
It is estimated that the number of passengers on the Helsinki-St Petersburg route will triple within five years of starting the high speed service. Last year 200,000 rail journeys were made on this route.
In 2006 a total of 337,000 rail journeys were made between Finland and Russia, an increase of 26% on the previous year. The numbers have continued to grow this year: travel volumes on the trains to and from Russia rose 21% in the January-August period.
Russians account for 60% of the passengers and Finns for 29%. International travellers from other European countries, Asia and North America also make use of the trains.
There are two daily rail services between Helsinki and St Petersburg, the Finnish Sibelius and the Russian Repin trains. The Tolstoi overnight train travels to Moscow every day.
Karelian Trains is a company jointly owned by VR Ltd and Russian railway company OAO RZD. It has the task of obtaining high-speed trains and maintenance services for the Helsinki-St Petersburg rail service.
Source Karelian Trains 5.9
Source WWW
http://www.kareliantrains.fi/en/index/news.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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The stormy weather caused severe traffic conditions on Friday.
In the towns of Hämeenlinna and Lahti, a downpour of rain engulfed the streets with water causing drains to overflow. Traffic was severly disrupted for a time.
Rescue workers had to a free a driver and three passengers stranded in a vehicle in an motorway underpass in Hämeenlinna.
In south west Finland, the lightning caused small fires, apparently burning a shed in Kiikala and setting fire to a cottage in Särkisalo.
The thunderstorms also caused disruptions in rail services between Helsinki and Turku. Damage to safety devices resulted in delays of up to 30 minutes in trains between the two cities. Storm damage has also caused disruptions to rail services in parts of eastern Finland.
Traffic Manager for Finnish State Railways VR, Mauno Haapala told YLE that regular service would be restored once the damage has been repaired.
He added that the lightning also caused some damage to parts of the rail line between Kirkkonummi and Karjaa, and could cause a few minutes delay in local rail traffic.
Source YLE 24.8
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id68125.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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An unusually powerful storm battered southern and eastern Finland Wednesday. The Finnish Meteorological Institute warned people in storm areas to stay indoors.
The storm lasted a couple of hours in the Helsinki region before blustering into eastern and south-eastern areas. The storm cut power to thousands of homes, however most of the outages have been repaired.
Lightning also caused several problems with transportation in the capital region, including hindering traffic light operation. Long-distance trains have experienced delays of around an hour on average, while Wednesday evening's Y-trains from Kirkkonummi to Karjaa and Karjaa to Helsinki have been cancelled. The Finnish State Railway VR expects trains to run on time on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile YLE radio broadcasts were disrupted in the Uusimaa region after lightning struck the main broadcast tower in Pasila.
Source Yle 22.8
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id67940.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Anu Vehviläinen (centre), the Finnish transport minister, said Tuesday that she expected Finnish Railways (VR) and the Rail Administration (RHK) to produce a report on delays in a month's time. The minister added the report should explain the cause of the problems and how VR and RHK intended to tackle them.
Ms Vehviläinen's announcement came after a signalling failure brought trains to a standstill for an hour in southern Finland Tuesday morning. Last week, passengers on the Lahti bypass line experienced severe delays after a shrub cutter severed a data cable. Ms Vehviläinen said the latest fault had been the last drop for her.
- I cannot deny that one really has had enough as this certainly was not the first time. I have been minister for four months and there have been several of these incidents during that time, the minister added.
Henri Kuitunen, the head of VR, assured that the state-owned rolling stock operator would get to the bottom of the difficulties, adding the incidents of the past few days involved unconnected phenomena.
VR's own statistics show that the punctuality of long-distance trains has suffered over the past few years. At the beginning of the decade, some seven per cent of long-distance trains were late, compared with 14 per cent this year through July.
VR admitted that the incidence of delays had risen, adding most of the disruptions were caused by failures in fixed stock like signalling and overhead lines that fell under RHK's responsibility.
RHK said the current 20-year-old signalling system was being stretched under today's traffic load. It added the building of a new system had started but that it was not expected to be finished before the end of 2010.
Last year, the then transport and communications minister, Susanna Huovinen (soc dem), issued a report request to VR and RHK that was similar to Ms Vehviläinen's.
Source STT 21.8
Source WWW
http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=16528&group=Politics
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Minister of Transport Anu Vehviläinen is demanding that the State Railways VR launch an investigation into train traffic delays and service cuts. Train traffic in southern Finland was at a complete standstill on Tuesday morning.
From seven to eight a.m. Tuesday morning, a fault in the long-distance guidance system halted all traffic between Helsinki and Turku and Helsinki and Riihimäki. In addition, none of the local trains in the greater Helsinki region were running. Even after the problem was fixed, it took hours for the train backlog to return to normal.
That same morning, Vehviläinen said that VR must conduct a thorough investigation and discover why these types of problems occur, why they are able to shut down such a large section of track traffic, and what exactly VR and the Finnish Rail Administration intend to do to address the problem.
Source Yle 21.8
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id67821.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Regional and long-distance trains on the Lahti line were halted on two occasions after damage to a signalling box and the failure of a backup system on Friday.
Although trains started to run again after the second disruption in the afternoon, the Finnish Railways (VR) told passengers to prepare for further delays.
A number of trains were cancelled and replacement coaches called in. The first disruption was caused by the toppling of a signalling box by a thicket cutting machine.
Source STT 17.8
Source WWW
http://virtual.finland.fi/stt/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=16499&group=General
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Regular train traffic on the Kerava - Lahti route is getting back to normal. was disrupted by a cable fault, which was repaired later on Friday after several hours of interruption. Electricity and data communications cables were accidentally damaged during maintenance work on the lines early Friday morning.
Commuters experienced delays on their way into Helsinki, but the service was temporarily restored when a back-up system was brought on line.
Source Yle 17.8
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id67582.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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A homemade bomb derailed a Russian passenger train heading from Moscow to St. Petersburg late Monday evening. The accident is expected to cause some delays on train traffic between Finland and Russia.
Sixty people were injured in the blast, 38 of whom were taken to hospital. Three of the victims are in critical condition. The train was carrying a total of 215 passengers and 20 personnel. Russian officials say no Finnish citizens were onboard.
The bomb exploded just after the train crossed a bridge near the town of Malaya-Vishera. It's still not known who planted the bomb, but Russian officials have launched a terrorism investigation.
The train route between Moscow and St. Petersburg is one of the most travelled in Russia, and is particularly popular among tourists. Officials say they will try to re-route train traffic. As of Tuesday morning, traffic was still at a standstill.
Delays on Train Travel to Finland
The accident is expected to cause a six to eight hour delay on the Tolstoy train travelling from Moscow to Helsinki.
The train travelling from Helsinki to Moscow Tuesday evening is also expected to be delayed by a couple hours.
The bombing was sharply condemned by Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. Vanhanen said that the perpetrators showed indifference toward human life.
Source Yle 14.8
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id67276.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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It is the first main contract that VR-Track Ltd signs with a Swedish company. The orderer is Banverket, responsible for the Swedish railway network.
The contract work concerns the Ådalsbanan line on the east coast of Sweden. The order includes the installation of rails and turnouts, as well as the purchase and mounting of cable conduits at three stations. The work is scheduled to commence in July and due for completion in December 2007.
VR-Track Ltd has earlier performed track work in Sweden, as sub-contractor. Most recently VR-Track Ltd worked in cooperation with Balfour Beatty within a joint venture engaged in the Botniabanan building project.
VR-Track Ltd with its subsidiaries supply track maintenance planning services, construction services and maintenance services to the government, the municipalities, the ports and companies using railway services. In 2006 the turnover of the company was about 240 million euros, and the average work force totaled 2,360 employees.
Source VR 31.7
Source WWW
http://www.vrgroup.fi/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_109.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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The Finnish State Railways VR says it plans to increase the number of commuter trains travelling between Kerava and Lahti. According to VR, the direct route has appealed to many people travelling between the capital region and Lahti, causing some commuters to abandon their cars for public transportation.
Popularity of the route has surpassed VR's expectations. The company estimates that over 600,000 trips will be made by the rail annually. Last autumn, VR predicted that number would reach just 400,000. Due to the popularity of the route, VR has decided to add even more trains to the timetable.
An additional train will leave on weekdays at 11 a.m. and on weekends at 6 p.m. Starting next week Sunday, trains will travel between Lahti and Helsinki every hour in both directions from early morning to late in the evening.
VR says long-distance and regional train travel has risen by nearly 14 percent throughout the country in the first half of this year.
Source YLE 31.7
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id66259.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Nearly 300 vacant train stations across Finland could go up for sale this autumn. The Finnish government plans on selling over 2,000 buildings, including saunas and woodsheds.
It's still not official which buildings will be up for grabs, but in the regions of Uusimaa and Itä-Uusimaa, it's estimated that some 200 old depots, offices and residential buildings are to be sold.
In the region of Kanta-Häme, stations, houses and saunas will go on sale. Buildings in Eastern Karelia, Kainuu, Satakunta and Lapland are also to be put on the market.
Before the properties go on sale, ownership will be transferred to the government-owned property manager Senate Properties.
Senate Properties Director Heikki Laitakari said that the buildings will go on sale this autumn at the earliest. He added that each property will be dealt with separately, and current rental agreements will continue as before.
Source YLE 1.8
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id66347.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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VR Group's consolidated net turnover rose 8.3% between January and April 2007 compared to the same period last year. The number of journeys in passenger services increased by 5.3% mainly as a result of the new Helsinki-Lahti direct line opened last autumn. The volume of freight traffic, by contrast, fell 4.6% owing to a clear decline in raw timber carryings from Russia.
VR Group's net turnover between January and April 2007 totalled Meur 402.3. Last year's corresponding figure was Meur 371.4. The Group recorded a net profit of Meur 2.4 (Meur 0.8).
The number of journeys increased by 1.8% in long-distance rail services and by 6.1% in commuter traffic in the Greater Helsinki area. The total number of journeys made by rail was 22.2 million, which included 4.2 million long-distance journeys.
Rail carryings amounted to 13.9 million between January and April. The volume of domestic carryings increased by 4.7% but international carryings declined by 19.2%. The decrease was strongest, 30.8%, in forest industry carryings from Russia.
The volume of freight carryings by road, handled by the Pohjolan Liikenne group, grew by 7.6% on the same period last year. The number of passengers in road services increased by 3.6%.
VR-Track Ltd's net turnover was unchanged. Work undertaken in the first four months of year related mainly to winter maintenance on the rail network.
Capital expenditure amounted to Meur 26.9 (Meur 38.7) in the January-April period. The largest items were allocated to real estate, freight wagons and passenger rolling stock.
Source VR 14.6
Source WWW
http://www.vrgroup.fi/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_108.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Recent train delays are expected to be costly for Finland's State Railway VR. Thousands of passengers could ask for reimbursements following a series of delays on Monday and Tuesday. Trains were mostly running normally on Tuesday.
According to the law, VR may have to reimburse passengers as much as 5,000 euros for financial losses caused by delays.
Typical reimbursements will go towards covering taxi rides, but VR may have to compensate travellers for plane tickets, if train delays caused passengers to miss their flights.
Services Mostly Back to Normal
Railway services between Helsinki and Tampere are mostly back to normal, as repairs on the electrical cabling are completed. However VR said trains could be up to ten minutes late due to the cable problem, and train types could be changed.
The cables, which collapsed a few hundred metres south of the Turenki train station on Monday evening, were repaired by 7 a.m. on Tuesday. The collapse delayed fifteen trains and passengers were transported by bus past the damaged area.
According to Finnish state railway VR, the problem disrupted railway services in half of the country.
Meanwhile, problems with a safety device Tuesday evening caused more delays between Kouvola and Pieksmäki. Traffic there is back to normal following several hours of repair work.
Source YLE 5.6
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id61755.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Normal railway services between Helsinki and Tampere are resuming, as repairs on the electrical cabling are completed. At the moment, five to ten-minute delays can still be expected. Monday's interruption, which was caused by two overhead cables falling down, is still causing congestion for goods trains.
The cables, which collapsed a few hundred metres south of the Turenki train station on Monday evening, were repaired by 07:00 on Tuesday morning. The collapse delayed fifteen trains and passengers were transported by bus past the damaged area.
According to Finnish state railway VR, the problem disrupted railway services in half of the country.
Source YLE 5.6
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id61755.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Long-distance train schedules underwent changes on Sunday. According to the Finnish State Railways VR, most timetables will stay the same. VR says there will also be changes to rail bus traffic. The new timetables are based on feedback on schedule reforms last autumn.
Passengers can find more information by visiting the VR web site or by phoning the VR Telephone Service at 0600 41 902 (1 euro + Inc.).
Source YLE 4.6
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id61622.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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According to the Finnish Rail Administration the State Railways VR can expect to see a competitor for freight transport services. Interviewed by the newspaper Savon Sanomat, Administration Director General Kari Alppivuori said that the new freight operator will probably be one of the nation's wood processing companies.
So far, the Rail Administration has not received new formal applications for the safety documentation that will be required to begin services competing with VR.
However, Alppivuori said that there have been so many inquiries that the appearance of a competitor on the scene look to be a sure thing.
The State Railways VR lost its monopoly last year after the European Union required that Finland open domestic rail freight services to competition.
Source YLE 21.5
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id60621.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
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Eleven people were injured after two buses and a tram collided in Helsinki's Kallio district early Saturday morning. Six people were sent to hospital.
The accident occurred around 6:30 a.m. at the corner of Sturenkatu street and Porvoonkatu street. The tram driver and both bus drivers were injured.
So far, no information has been released on what caused the accident. Police say the tram ran into the first bus, which then in turn hit the second bus.
Traffic has been delayed at the site of the accident due to cleanup work.
Source YLE 12.5
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id60069.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
The Ministry of Transport is looking into the need for a faster rail connection from Helsinki to St. Petersburg. Minister of Transport Anu Vehviläinen has given the Finnish Rail Administration the job of determining whether additional railway lines to Russia and the Baltic countries are necessary.
The administration will also determine the need of a railway line from Helsinki, through Loviisa and Kotka, to Luumäki. Furthermore, it will look into possibilities for a more direct line from Kotka, via Vaalimaa, to Vyborg. A train connection at the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on the Helsinki-St. Petersburg route will also be discussed.
The appraisal will consider the future international transport needs and land use up until the year 2050. Representatives from municipalities, environmental agencies and provincial federations are to participate in the assessment.
Source YLE 25.4
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id58795.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
Russia's Ambassador to Finland Alexander Rumyantsev said he is in favour of construction of a railway from Finnish Lapland to Russia. Visiting Finnish Lapland on Tuesday, Rumyantsev said he supports plans to join the Salla railway with Russia's railway network in Kandalaksha, located in the Murmansk province.
Some people however question whether it will be possible to build two major railway line connections to Russia. Finland's previous government had launched plans to construct tracks from Kainuu to Murmansk.
Rumyantsev said that Finland and Russia may need to decide whether to construct the rail from Kaunuu or Lapland.
Finland's new Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paavo Väyrynen has also lent his support to the railway line from Salla, Lapland.
Source YLE 24.4
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id58716.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
VR, YTV (Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council) and HKL (Helsinki City Transport) are preparing for the Eurovision Song Contest in May by running extra services and more trains and buses. Several extra trains will operate between Helsinki Central Station and Pasila and the last trains in the evening will be longer than normal during the period 9 -12 May. HKL will provide extra services especially on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 May, when there are several major events for the public in the centre of Helsinki. If necessary buses and trams will run on special routes in the centre.
All trains stop at Pasila station, which is about a 400 metre walk from the Hartwall Arena where the Song Contest is being held. There are signs on the platforms at Pasila station pointing the way to the Hartwall Arena. Trams 7A ja 7B also go to Pasila.
Extra trains between Helsinki and Pasila
The extra trains between Helsinki Central Station and Pasila will be in service for about two hours before and after the shows. They will run on average at 25 minute intervals, and the journey takes five minutes. On the night of the final, Saturday 12 May, extra trains will run through the night until five o'clock in the morning. The extra trains will as a rule in Helsinki depart from platforms 8-12 and in Pasila from platforms 5 or 5B. The departure platforms will be shown on platform display screens and announced over the loudspeaker system.
At Helsinki Central Station, for the extra trains and normal night-time commuter trains passenger tickets will be inspected at the platform barrier before getting on the train. To ease congestion, passengers are requested to buy rail tickets in advance and to allow plenty of time to get to the train.
All normal Helsinki Metropolitan Area tickets can be used on the extra trains. At Helsinki Central Station tickets can be purchased at ticket offices, at the R-kiosk and from automatic ticket machines. Night rates apply in the Helsinki area between 2 am and 4.30 am.
On long-distance trains travellers need the appropriate ticket for the type of train they will be travelling on.
Tourist ticket makes travelling easy
A tourist ticket is a convenient way to get around on public transport in the Greater Helsinki area. With the ticket travellers can make an unlimited number of journeys by bus, commuter train, underground and tram. The ticket can be valid for the entire Helsinki Metropolitan Area or just for public transport in the city of Helsinki. One, three and five day tickets are available.
The one-day ticket can be purchased from the driver on buses and trams and from the conductor on commuter trains. Automatic ticket machines sell all the tickets.
More information about tourist tickets and other tickets available in the Helsinki Metropolitan Council Area (YTV) is available on the YTV and HKL websites. A summary of the latest information about transport services in the city relating to the Eurovision Song Contest can be found on the HKL website at www.hkl.fi/eurovision.
Information about rail services during the Eurovision Song Contest is available at www.vr.fi/eurovision/. More details can also be obtained from VR's telephone services on 0600 41 902. Calls cost one euro plus the local network charge.
Source VR 2.4
Source WWW
http://www.vrgroup.fi/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_106.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
The VR State Railways has began repairs to its entire stock of Pendolino express trains on Tuesday. The repairs will affect services between Helsinki and Turku. The VR State Railways says that the whole fleet will be upgraded by August.
Pendolino express trains running between Helsinki and Turku will be out of service for a week at a time. They'll be replaced with slower trains, and tickets will be discounted accordingly.
The warranty repairs are mainly to fix a coupler problem that has led to recurring delays in Pendolino departures. Other minor faults with the Italian trains will also be corrected.
Source Yle 10.4
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id57570.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
The most frightening places in downtown Helsinki are the main railway station and the Kaisaniemi Park. Troublemaking and harassment are regarded as the worst problems. On weekend evenings every second woman and every third man feel insecure in downtown Helsinki. Only on weekdays is the city centre reported to be safe.
The information is based on a recent security survey involving interviews with over 6,500 residents, employees, and passers-by in the districts of Kamppi and Kluuvi.
As for public transport, the respondents regarded the metro as the most insecure and the buses as the most secure. No particular group of people was regarded as a specific problem in terms of security.
The interviewees were also asked to give their own proposals on how to improve security in the city. Half of the respondents hoped for a continuous visible police presence, while one in four urged the number of security guards to be increased.
Source HS 5.4
Source WWW
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/1135226376902
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
Train travel near the capital city was cut on Saturday morning due to an electrical accident near Kerava. An electrician working to correct a fault in the traction equipment received a nasty shock, but was able to call for an ambulance.
The state railways VR cut power to that section of the track because of the accident, causing numerous train delays. Power to that part of the track was returned around an hour later.
The afternoon train to Oulu was the most delayed, arriving around half an hour late. Two express trains from Helsinki to Tampere were also cancelled and replaced by extra Pendolino runs.
Police and shop stewards are investigating the accident. Rescue workers say it is alarming that the injured man was working on the electrical equipment by himself.
Source YLE 7.4
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id57456.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
Lay-off warning to be cancelled, more workers will be hired
The mood is upbeat in the Talgo Oy headquarters, situated in the northern technology park of Oulu Technopolis. The capital stock of the Finnish arm of the international Talgo Group, hitherto under Spanish ownership, has just been sold from Spain back to Finland. Talgo Oy is a supplier of rolling stock for extreme climatic conditions and exacting customer needs.
The name of the railway wagon factory will be changed back to Transtech Oy. The firm's new Finnish owners are Ilkka Brotherus, 55, Curt Lindbom, 64, Veli-Matti Mynttinen, 52, and Harri Launonen, 58, together with the company's present executive management.
At a press conference, the newly regrouped company's Board Chairman Curt Lindbom delivered a message seldom heard these days: "Product manufacturing in Finland is profitable."
Lindbom went on to list a bunch of Finnish brands and firms, such as Solifer and Finnair, the stock of which the four investors have accumulated.
"Globalisation is a fact, but we are tired of hearing any more news of jobs being shifted from Finland to China. We aim to act as a counterforce", adds Brotherus, who still believes in the profitability of Finnish entrepreneurship.
In January, Talgo Oy reported that the company would have to introduce lay-offs or shed permanently part of its 420-strong workforce, if the company did not get new orders quickly.
"The lay-off warning will be cancelled and we will start working hard, as we believe in an upswing in railroad traffic, especially in Russia, which is a stone's throw away from Otanmäki", Lindbom says. The village of Otanmäki is where the firm's production facility is situated.
"In the near future we will officially announce a new rolling stock manufacturing deal, as a result of which we will have to hire 10-20 new workers", explains Markku Blomberg, who will continue as the company's CEO.
During the seven years that the factory was owned by Patentes Talgo S.A. of Spain, the faith of the Spanish owners in their Otanmäki unit gradually faded.
"We heard that a consultant had been commissioned to sell the railway wagon factory. We quickly decided to put in an offer, as the Otanmäki facility benefits from a modern machine shop and competent staff", Mynttinen explains.
Patentes Talgo CEO José Mario Oriol refrains from revealing the exact cost of the buyout. "We received less than what we have invested in Otanmäki."
Last summer, Talgo management expressed their disappointment at the Swiss manufacturer Stadler's having won the bidding contest for providing the Finnish capital area with new commuter trains.
"In the future we will concentrate on the commuter train and fast bullet train market in central Europe. In Finland there is not enough demand in sight", Oriol reasons.
According to Lindbom, in rolling stock manufacturing, just like in engineering in general, quick profits cannot be expected. The Finnish investors promise to commit themselves to Otanmäki for years. This is great news for the north-eastern province of Kainuu, which is plagued with a poor employment situation.
The Finnish investors acquired the entire stock of Talgo Oy from its previous owner Patentes Talgo S.A, which is jointly owned by the Spanish Oriol family and the investment bank Lehman Brothers.
Source HS 30.3
Source WWW
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/1135226230796
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
The Ministry of Transport and Communications wants to restore the overnight train service from Helsinki to the town of Kemijärvi, in Lapland. A working group from the ministry said that the connection is important for travel up north.
According to ministry official Tuomo Suvanto, the connection will most likely be restored if endorsed by the working group.
The Finnish State Railways VR discontinued the service last year because its new rolling stock could not run on the non-electrified line between Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi. The working group will present its proposal next month.
Source Yle 30.3
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id56916.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
A working group appointed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland suggests that construction of a rail line from the city centre of Helsinki to Helsinki-Vantaa airport be started in 2008.
The new link would offer the annual 12 million air passengers a rail connection to the airport. The working group estimates that the improved public transport connections could create a basis for new housing districts of 40,000 people, and could bring about 60,000 jobs to Vantaa. The rail connection would become operational in 2013 at the earliest.
The working group suggests that the costs for the construction be divided between the State, which would pay around 70-75%, and the City of Vantaa, which would pay around 25-30%.
The working group is of the opinion that the most cost-efficient way to finance the project would be through the State budget. For example public-private partnership would not be beneficial because of strict technical regulations that govern rail construction. The group saw no particular benefits in a special public project company either.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy has taken a positive stance on the rail project. Ms Susanna Huovinen, Minister of Transport and Communications, stresses the importance of improving public transport connections in the Helsinki metropolitan area that is likely to suffer from congestion in the future.
- The new rail line would make trips to work, schools and shops easier and it would open up possibilities for housing production in the Helsinki metropolitan area. It would also provide a badly needed rail connection to Finland's most important airport, she says.
- I feel confident that the next Government will take a decision to implement the project before the end of this year.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications appointed a working group to look into project models applicable to the new section of rail line in June 2006. The group examined, among other things, construction costs, operating guidelines, and impacts on the housing policy in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Source MINTC 16.2
Source WWW
http://www.mintc.fi/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=lvm/cm/pub/showdoc.p?docid=2186&menuid=242&channelitemid=15553&channelid=77
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
VR Group's net profit in 2006 was EUR 63.1 million, compared to EUR 46.0 million the previous year. The operating profit was EUR 85.2 (61.1) million. Net profit was improved by the increase in net turnover and also by income from the sale of fixed assets that was EUR 5.1 million higher than in the previous year.
Net turnover amounted to EUR 1,264.6 (1,196.6) million. The Group's financial position and liquidity remained good.
Freight carryings at record level
VR Cargo's carryings totalled 43.6 (40.7) million tonnes. This exceeds by 0.1 million tonnes the previous highest amount ever recorded in 2003. Growth from the previous year was 7.0%.
Domestic carryings were 26.0 (23.5) million tonnes, an increase of 10.6%. However, the comparable figure for 2005 was reduced by the long labour dispute in the forest industry.
Forest industry carryings remained by far the largest product segment in domestic freight traffic last year, totalling 19.6 million tonnes. Metal industry carryings were 4.6 million tonnes and chemical industry carryings 1.6 million tonnes. Forest industry carryings increased 17.4%, whereas metal industry carryings declined 7.6% and chemical industry carryings declined 1.7%.
The volume of international freight traffic, crossing Finland's border, was 17.6 million tonnes, an increase of 2.1%. Most of this traffic, 16.8 million tonnes, comprised carryings to and from Russia. Imports of round timber from Russia declined 10.7%, but transit traffic through Finland to third countries increased 25.3%. VR Cargo recorded a net turnover of EUR 358.9 (333.4) million.
Freight tonnage during January-February in 2007 was 5.5% less than in the corresponding period in the previous year. Domestic traffic increased 2.2%, but international traffic fell 18.3%. The decrease in carryings is mainly due to the significant decline in imports of Russian round timber. Round timber carryings have fallen 42.0% in the first months of 2007 compared to the previous year.
Outstanding year for passenger services
A total of 65.0 million journeys were made by rail last year, the highest annual number of journeys by rail to date in Finland. The number of rail journeys increased by 2.4% from the previous year. The completion of the Kerava-Lahti direct line increased rail travel towards the end of the year.
Long-distance services recorded 12.8 million journeys, an increase of 2.8%. Rail travel between Finland and Russia increased 26.1% to 337,000 journeys.
Commuter journeys in the Greater Helsinki area increased 2.3%, to a total of 52.1 million. Journeys in the area administered by the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV area) accounted for 41.2 million of these, an increase of almost 0.8%. Commuter journeys outside the YTV area totalled 10.9 million, increasing by 8.1%. Comparing the figures outside the YTV area is complicated because after the completion of the direct Kerava-Lahti line certain long-distance trains were included in the statistics for commuter services.
Passenger services recorded a net turnover of EUR 340.0 (320.4) million.
The number of journeys in passenger services has continued to grow in 2007. In January-February 16.9% more rail journeys were made than in the corresponding period in the previous year. The main reasons for this strong growth are the Kerava-Lahti direct line and shorter journey times.
Increase in road services
The Pohjolan Liikenne companies transported altogether 9.9 million tonnes of freight, an increase of 8.3% on the previous year. The number of bus and coach journeys totalled 11.7 million, 2.3% less than in the previous year. The net turnover of road services amounted to EUR 240.1 (209.1) million.
VR-Rata still the biggest track contractor
The net turnover for track construction and maintenance totalled EUR 232.6 (241.5) million. Most of the work was commissioned by the Finnish Rail Administration. VR-Track Ltd carried out just over half of the track work ordered by the Finnish Rail Administration.
Major superstructure work was carried out on altogether 230 kilometres of railway line. The largest projects were on the Turku-Toijala, Uimaharju-Lieksa, Seinäjoki-Oulu, Misi-Kuusivaara, Pännäinen-Pietarsaari, Haviseva-Orivesi and Pihlajavesi-Myllymäki line sections.
There were major marshalling yard projects in Vaasa and Imatra. The superstructure work, electrification and installation of signalling equipment were completed on the Kerava-Lahti direct line.
Volume of investments fell significantly
VR Group's capital expenditure totalled EUR 110.3 (210.2) million, including EUR 58.7 (172.0) million for rolling stock for VR Ltd.
The expenditure on rolling stock was mainly the final instalments of earlier orders. All the new rolling stock was in service during 2006. Other investments were mainly normal replacement of fixed assets.
Source VR 29.3
Source WWW
http://www.vrgroup.fi/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_105.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.11) Gecko/20070312 Firefox/1.5.0.11
Arctic temperatures have disrupted rail services across Finland with delays up to an hour or more on some routes reported. Further timetable chaos is predicted as the bitterly cold weather continues. On Wednesday afternoon, services in eastern areas were running about 15 minutes while delays on services between Helsinki and Tampere extended to between 15 and 30 minutes. Hardest hit with long distance trains between Helsinki and Oulu with reported delays as much as 50 minutes.
Some earlier services experienced worse delays or were cancelled as frozen locomotives failed to operate. Some local trains in the Helsinki area were also subject to delays. Further service disruptions are forecast for Thursday morning as temperatures plummet, for example, in eastern areas to almost minus 40 degrees Celsius.
Source Yle 6.2
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id53003.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.9) Gecko/20061206 Firefox/1.5.0.9
Finnish State Railways VR plans to increase the number of transit automobiles it transports from Hanko on the south west coast to Russia. The aim is to transfer around 40,000 vehicles to rail transport over the next two years from the port of Hanko. If implemented, the scheme would greatly reduce the number of heavy car transporters using the roads in southern Finland. Last year, VR transported some 15,000 vehicles on its rail network. A total of 420,000 automobiles were imported through the port of Hanko in 2006, most of which usually continued via car transporter or lorry to Russia. According to VR's plan, a Russian car terminal should be ready this autumn with extra rolling stock available next year.
Source Yle 6.2
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/id52777.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.9) Gecko/20061206 Firefox/1.5.0.9
The Finnish state-run railway company VR believes that freight transport on the Trans-Siberian Railway through Russia to the Far East will experience a revival this year. Russia has announced a 35 percent cut in the price of hauling container freight on the railway. VR is waiting for the price discount to significantly increase its container transport to and from Korea, Japan, and China. According to VR Cargo, the reduction in price means that rail transport will again be competitive compared with maritime transport.
Container transport on the Trans-Siberian Railway had increased for several years until Russia doubled its cargo fees a year ago. The decision brought VR's transport through Siberia down to a fraction of what it had been.
In 2005 VR carried 100,000 container units through Siberia - about two or three trains a day - at a value of several million euros.
VR brings electronics and other consumer goods, mainly from Korea, but to some extent from Japan and China as well. One fifth of the containers go back the same route, taking European goods to the Far East.
The price cut is not expected to lead to an immediate surge in goods transport on the railway, as companies generally sign long-term transport contracts. Matti Andersson, head of marketing at VR, says that he expects transport through Siberia to grow in the second half of this year.
Source YLE 29.1
Source WWW
http://www.yle.fi/news/left/id52314.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.9) Gecko/20061206 Firefox/1.5.0.9
Mikhail Akulov, Vice-President of Russian Railways and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oy Karelian Trains Ltd., announced that “five companies applied to participate in the tender for high-speed rolling stock for use on the express run between St Petersburg and Helsinki: ALSTOM, SIEMENS, BOMBARDIER, TALGO and CAF. All application packages have been submitted in accordance with the documentation required by the Board of Directors at Oy Karelian Trains Ltd, which set out the technical specifications of the rolling stock, price estimates etc.” The rolling stock will consist of motorised coaches, which must be developed, assembled and tested in accordance with European standards and meet modern standards of speed, comfort and safety. Akulov said that “we will now await the formal proposals from the plants and manufacturers taking part in the tender. A working group has been set up to study the applications, after which the Board of Directors at Oy Karelian Trains Ltd will select a winner of the tender and conclude a contract for the delivery of the motorised coaches for the St Petersburg-Helsinki high-speed route.
Source JSC Russian Railways
Source WWW
http://www.eng.rzd.ru/news.html
Reported by Phil Lockwood
<phil_lockwood5@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent from host 80.41.34.15 with browser Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1)
A record 65.0 million journeys were made by rail in 2006. The number of journeys rose by 2.8% in long-distance rail traffic and by 2.2% in commuter services in the Helsinki area.
When it started the New Train Era on 3 September 2006, VR reorganized its long-distance and commuter services. Travel between Riihimäki and Lahti became part of the commuter services, where before it was part of long-distance services. For this reason the figures for 2005 and 2006 are not directly comparable.
Last year altogether 12.8 million journeys were made in long-distance traffic, compared with 12.5 million in 2005. The number of rail journeys between Finland and Russia increased 26.1% to an all time record of 337,000.
Rail journeys in the YTV area administered by the Helsinki metropolitan area council inc-reased by 0.8%, to a total of 41.2 million. Outside this area, the number of commuter rail journeys in the Helsinki area increased by 8.1% to 10.9 million.
A record 43.6 million tonnes of freight were carried by rail during 2006. This was an increase of 7.0% on the 40.7 million tonnes in the previous year. Domestic carryings increased by 10.6%. A total of 26.0 million tonnes were carried.
Freight traffic between Finland and Russia declined 2.7%, to 12.6 million tonnes. The volu-me of transit freight traffic via Finland to other countries was 4.2 million tonnes, 25.3% more than in 2005.
Source VR 9.1
Source WWW
http://www.vrgroup.fi/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_102.html
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.9) Gecko/20061206 Firefox/1.5.0.9
Rail services were cut off on Wednesday between Turku and Tampere, and between Kajaani and Oulu. There were also problems in the southeast.
The storm which swept over Finland on Tuesday night and Wednesday blew trees down on electric lines, causing problems for the railways, and leaving many households in Southern and Western Finland temporarily without electricity.
The track between Tampere and Turku was cut off from the morning until half past eight in the evening because of an electric failure in Humppila. The storm had blown a tree down over an electric line. Buses were called in to replace the missing trains. The track between Kajaani and Oulu was out of commission from five in the morning until nine in the evening.
Changing weather brought some long-awaited snow to Southern Finland on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Traffic problems were reported in the south of Finland. Police reported 18 accidents, including one fatality in the Uusimaa area. Skies began clearing up at about ten in the morning. Temperatures are expected to drop on Thursday evening, leading to possible icy roads in the south of Finland.
Wednesday's storm caused power cuts affecting up to 16,000 households in the west and southwest, and in West Uusimaa, which are served by the power company Fortum. High winds and falling trees caused damage to a few residential buildings in Helsinki.
The sea level rose by about one metre, but turned downward again on Wednesday before noon. In Helsinki, some seaside walking paths were submerged. The water level rose to 99 centimetres above average, which is ten centimetres short of the emergency level. The crew on the marine research vessel Aranda, which started a winter study voyage, were optimistic that the storm in the ice-free Gulf of Finland might help improve the oxygen situation in deeper parts of the Gulf. Results of samples to be taken will come in just over two weeks.
Temperature records for January were set on Tuesday night. At Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, the temperature reached 8.2° Celsius. The previous record for January, 7.6°C, was set in January 1973. The average high temperature at this time of the year in the south of Finland is between zero and -2°C. Usually the winter in the south of Finland is at its coldest in early February.
A group of surfers appeared on the beach in Emäsalo in Porvoo to take advantage of the waves stirred up by the storm. Surfing is possible on the south coast of Finland only on a few days of the year, and in few places.
Source HS 11.1.2007
Source WWW
http://www.hs.fi/english/article/1135224233298
Reported by Kimmo Kotimäki
Sent from host 84.239.129.41 with browser Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win98; fi; rv:1.8.0.9) Gecko/20061206 Firefox/1.5.0.9
Note that I don't work for VR. Created 15.1.2008 Kimmo Kotimäki.