Improvements to rail services when timetable period changes on 27 October

There will be changes to rail services in various parts of Finland when the timetable period changes on 27 October as Summer Time ends. For instance, direct connections will be introduced to replace some with change of train. A new direct Pendolino connection will start operating between Helsinki and Vaasa. The train will arrive in Helsinki on working days at 9.30, and departs to Vaasa daily at 18.30.

Three direct Pendolino services will operate in both directions on working days, going forward. The first Pendolino service from Helsinki to Rovaniemi will start operating regularly once a week. The train will arrive in Helsinki on Saturdays at 9.30, and departs from Rovaniemi on Sunday at 15.10. The travel time of the Express train P 711 from Kuopio to Rovaniemi at 10.00 is shortened by approximately an hour.

This brings smoother connections to other parts of Lapland. On the Tampere–Jyväskylä–Pieksämäki route blue Express trains will be replaced by InterCity trains resulting in better service. There is e.g. VR's wireless onboard network on IC trains. A new daily IC2 train service will start operating between Helsinki and Lappeenranta. In addition, a new IC service will operate between Turku and Oulu running via Tampere, Jyväskylä, Kuopio and Kajaani.

Changes to rolling stock, timetables and service level There will be some changes to rolling stock also on some other long-distance routes as the timetable period changes. In addition, there will be changes in the restaurant services of some long-distance trains. The little used Express train service P 409 between Seinäjoki and Kokkola will be discontinued.

The new Pendolino service running from Helsinki to Vaasa stops between Seinäjoki and Vaasa only at Tervajoki. Departure and arrival times of Allegro services to St. Petersburg will be brought forward by one hour in Finland due to the difference in time between Russia and Finland. Tolstoi's timetables will also be changed. Departure platforms of services from Turku will change. Until now, trains to Helsinki have departed from track 5, but may also depart from their arrival track, going forward. As winter approaches the amount of track work diminishes. However, rail services will be replaced by buses on Tampere–Pori, Seinäjoki–Oulu and Jyväskylä–Haapamäki lines due to track work. Read more on rail services alterations www.vr.fi.