Trains of VR are clean and comfortable. Most of the tolling stocks are designed specially for Finland. The newest locomotive Sr2 or Pendolino have its origin in Switzerland or Italy, but they have special features such as additional heaters or bogies for 1524mm-width-tracks.
* Click each photo to see the detail.
Pendolino "S220" is a new express train designed in Italy. It has 220km/h max. speed and tilting mechanism. Now it runs not only between Helsinki and Tampere, its service reached Oulu, Kuopio and Joensuu. However, its tilting mechanism is not fully used in conventional lines.
Sm1 is the oldest EMU in Finland, which was designed and manufactured in Finland. Although it is not lightweight, the series are very tough against low temperatures and snowfalls. Originally painted yellow and red, but Now every Sm1 stock is refurblished and colored in red and white.
Sm2 is the improved series of Sm1. It has alminum body and air suspension bogies, looking a little smarter than Sm1. In 2005, most stocks had original yellow and red style. For a long time, these EMU have been used near Helsinki, but recently they are also in service near Tampere and Lahti.
After refurblishment of Sm1, refurblishment of Sm2 has begun in 2005. Seats are impeoved, some decks are removed, and color schema are dynamically changed. Although Sm1 has lost its curved windshield on its removation, Sm2 holds it, maybe because its alminum body are not aged much.
Sm4 is in serivce since 2003, designed by Fiat, Italy. While one trainset consists of two stocks, motors are equipped on the boggies near cabin, and most part are low-floored. Its max. speed is 160km/h, which is fully utilized in new high-speed line bound for Lahti.
Sr1 is the first electric locomotive in Finland. It was manufactured in Soviet Union, but electric equipments are provided from Finland. Originally its max. speed was 120km/h, but some of them were renovated to run 160km/h. In 2006, Sr1 are as widely used as Sr2, except for IC2 service.
Sr2 is one of the variation of Lok2000 series, designed in Switzerland. Similar locomotives are used in many contries, such as in Norway, but Sr2 is the only one which has 1524mm gauge bogies. It acheves stable performance, and its max. speed is 230km/h (200km/h in IC2 service).
Since most main lines are electrificated, the number of diesel locomotives is continuously decreasing. Heavy DLs such as Dr16 are only used in Lapland and the line from Kuopoi - Oulu. Smaller Db12 can be seen everywhere. Switchers such as Dv12 can be seen in every terminal.
In 2006, there were 3 kinds of long-distance coaches and one regional coach. Express coaches have blue body with manual doors. IC has white and red outfit, and IC2 has a double-deck body. There are Express and IC2 style sleeping cars. All the coaches can be merged.
The blue Express type coach has been used for 40 years. It has large and comfortable seats and non-automatic doors. These stocks were a greate success, which has built hundreds of cars. These coaches are not used for ICs, but can be seen everywhere in Finland.
Type IC is improved type introduced from 1988. It is the first air-conditioned coaches in VR, with large window and automatic doors. Its color, white and red, also changed the mood of express coaches. It is mainly used in IC services combined with IC2.
The double-decker IC2 is the newest coaches in 2005. Since large standard of maximum size in Finland, both upper and lower floors have speciaous interiors. Some trains, (Helsinki-Turku/Tampere) are only composed of IC2, but most trains are combined with IC.
VR has "car-train", which carries passengers and their automobiles at the same time. There are two type of freight stocks for automobiles. The older one has normal bogies, with its side open. Newer one has one-axis bogies with shielded room for automobiles.
Most Helsinki urban trains are served by EMUs, but there are several locomotive-pulling trains for commuters. Commuter coaches, called Eil/EilF are used for these services. Its interior is similar to Sm1/Sm2, but equipped with better seats. Its outfit is red and gray.
Since the gauge of Finnish railways is the same as that of Russian, direct services run from Helsinki to St. Petersburg and Moscow. Although there are more freight trains than passengers trains, it is an important route to connect Russia to Europe. The photos are Russian coaches in 2005.
Nowadays most lines are electricified, and diesel locomotives are used in unelectricified lines since there are enough numbers of DLs. However, from 2006 Dm12 has started its operation from Tampere to Pieksämäki. Dm12 was manufactured by Skoda in Czech.
Since most of Finnish lines were not electricified before 80s, diesel motorcars played a great roll in local transports. Dm7, characterized with its round cabin, is the most typical DMU in that ages. Now Dm7 has retired, but several stocks are remaind for railway events.
