Finnish railway network

The Finnish railway network, its maintenance and renovation are the responsibility of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. In total, the railway network spans nearly 6,000 kilometres, more than half of which is electrified. Almost 90% of the railway network is single-track, and the railway line is operated in both directions.

In Finland, the track gauge of the railway network differs from the gauge more commonly used in Europe. In Finland the track gauge is 1,524 millimetres, while in most European countries it is 1,435 mm.

A significant problem from the point of view of rail traffic growth, smoothness and customer satisfaction is the repair backlog of the state’s railway network, which has grown to approximately EUR 1.7 billion. The poor condition of the railway network weakens the punctuality and operational reliability of train traffic, which affects both passengers and companies that need to transport goods.

The single-track railway network is very disruption-prone in terms of traffic and creates bottlenecks for the growth of rail transport and increased competition. It also constitutes a constraint for freight traffic.

A significant problem from the point of view of rail traffic growth, smoothness and customer satisfaction is the repair backlog of the state’s railway network, which has grown to approximately EUR 1.7 billion.

VR considers it important that the repair backlog is systematically corrected and the level of basic rail maintenance is kept stable and at a sufficient level to increase the operational reliability of the railway network.

Condition of the railway network affects punctuality

The punctuality of train traffic is a very important issue for us in order to ensure a great customer experience and efficient flow of traffic. At present, more than half of train delays in Finland are caused by the poor condition or malfunctions of the railway network.

In addition, temporary speed limits issued due to the poor condition of the track slow down travel times and significantly increase the energy consumption of train traffic. The maximum speed of the rolling stock (220 km/h on Pendolino trains, 200 km/h on IC trains) can only be utilised on a small section of the railway network.

Track projects in the coming years

Railway projects expedited by the Finnish Government:

Developing the main line between Helsinki and Riihimäki
Renovation of the Tampere passenger railway yard
Planning the double track of the Liminka–Oulu section
Construction of a double track between Luumäki and Lappeenranta
Improving the Coastal Railway between Kauklahti and Karjaa

State investments in the railway network

The aim of the government's transport policy is to implement a transport investment programme of more than EUR 3 billion, of which EUR 1.4 billion is to be directed towards new rail projects and the improvement of the existing railway network.

Adequate and appropriately targeted infrastructure investments, as well as the reduction of the maintenance backlog, are the most important prerequisites for the growth of rail traffic, increased competition and the achievement of emission-reduction targets for the transport sector.

Investments in railways can improve the flow and punctuality of passenger train services, speed up travel times, increase the efficiency of transport for logistics customers and promote the clean transition by increasing electrification, which directly reduces the emissions of our logistics customers.

Adequate and appropriately targeted infrastructure investments, as well as the reduction of the maintenance backlog, are the most important prerequisites for the growth of rail traffic, increased competition and the achievement of emission-reduction targets for the transport sector.

In particular, the development of the busiest main line in Finland is necessary for the efficiency and development of both passenger service and freight traffic. Airport Rail, the new double-track connection between Pasila, Helsinki Airport and Kerava, must be executed quickly as it will increase the track capacity and speed up the journey to the airport. The key railway sections of the main network and the TEN-T core network must have two or four tracks.

Railway projects for freight traffic should be promoted in order to benefit business investments, transport to ports and to the west via the north and to eliminate traffic bottlenecks in domestic roundwood transport after the end of Russian roundwood imports.

Improving the network connectivity of trains

VR has taken active measures to improve the network connections of trains. VR has invested EUR 5 million in replacing the wireless intranet and WiFi devices on long-distance trains. As a result, VR WiFi offers train passengers an internet connection that is approximately five times faster than before.

In research company Omnitele's measurements, a good quality internet connection (over 5 Mbit/s) was achieved with VR WiFi on 95 per cent of the railway sections. According to the measurements, the internet connection with VR WiFi is better than that of the mobile networks of telecom operators. There are significant differences in the coverage of WiFi and mobile networks on different railway sections.

In the coming years, VR will be preparing to laser the windows of trains to improve the coverage of calls and mobile data on trains, even for those who do not use VR WiFi.

Investment by telecom operators in track-side network infrastructure is also necessary to improve internet connectivity. Good connectivity of both VR WiFi and telecom operators’ own mobile networks requires that there are sufficient mobile operator access points on the track side.