Karelian Trains
Encyclopedia
Oy Karelian Trains Ltd is a joint venture agreed on 23 November 2006 between Russian Railways
(RZhD) and VR Group
(Finnish Railways) to facilitate the operation of international express passenger rail services between Helsinki
, Finland and Saint Petersburg
, Russia. Karelian Trains is registered in Helsinki, VR and RZhD both own 50% of the shares. The services are branded as Allegro.
Services were launched on December 12, 2010 using Alstom
Pendolino
trains ordered in September 2007. Investments will also be made in infrastructure to enable higher speeds to be achieved. Together, this will cut journey times between the two cities from the current 5½ hours to about 3 hours. There are two daily train departures each direction per day at first, like for the older service, increasing to four departures per day in May 2011. The daily night train Helsinki-Moscow will continue like before.
Visas
are required for many foreign nationals, including Finns, to enter Russia and for Russians to enter Finland; passport and customs checks will be conducted on board the trains. Traditionally the passport and customs checks has delayed the trains at least 30 minutes according to the time table (1 hour for 30 km Vyborg-the border).
-built Pendolino
trains similar in interior fitting and exterior appearance to the VR Class Sm3
Pendolino trains that have been operated by the VR since 1995. The new trains, branded Allegro, are dual voltage, capable of operating on VR's 25 kV AC
and RZhD's 3 kV DC electrification
systems. The Allegro trains will be painted in a new livery inspired by the colours of the flags of Finland
and Russia
, with blue and red stripes on a white and silver background, and a blue undercarriage.
Russian Railways
The Russian Railways , is the government owned national rail carrier of the Russian Federation, headquartered in Moscow. The Russian Railways operate over of common carrier routes as well as a few hundred kilometers of industrial routes, making it the second largest network in the world exceeded...
(RZhD) and VR Group
VR Group
VR or VR Group is a state-owned railway company in Finland. Formerly known as Suomen Valtion Rautatiet until 1922 and Valtionrautatiet / Statsjärnvägarna until 1995...
(Finnish Railways) to facilitate the operation of international express passenger rail services between Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland and Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia. Karelian Trains is registered in Helsinki, VR and RZhD both own 50% of the shares. The services are branded as Allegro.
Services were launched on December 12, 2010 using Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
Pendolino
Pendolino
Pendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
trains ordered in September 2007. Investments will also be made in infrastructure to enable higher speeds to be achieved. Together, this will cut journey times between the two cities from the current 5½ hours to about 3 hours. There are two daily train departures each direction per day at first, like for the older service, increasing to four departures per day in May 2011. The daily night train Helsinki-Moscow will continue like before.
Visas
Visa (document)
A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport...
are required for many foreign nationals, including Finns, to enter Russia and for Russians to enter Finland; passport and customs checks will be conducted on board the trains. Traditionally the passport and customs checks has delayed the trains at least 30 minutes according to the time table (1 hour for 30 km Vyborg-the border).
Rolling stock
The service between Helsinki and St. Petersburg is provided using four AlstomAlstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
-built Pendolino
Pendolino
Pendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
trains similar in interior fitting and exterior appearance to the VR Class Sm3
VR Class Sm3
The Sm3 Pendolino is a class of high-speed body-tilting trains operated by VR Group. It is a member of the Pendolino train family; its design is based on the ETR 460. The first two trainsets were assembled in Finland by Rautaruukki-Transtech in the mid-1990s...
Pendolino trains that have been operated by the VR since 1995. The new trains, branded Allegro, are dual voltage, capable of operating on VR's 25 kV AC
25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
and RZhD's 3 kV DC electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
systems. The Allegro trains will be painted in a new livery inspired by the colours of the flags of Finland
Flag of Finland
The flag of Finland , also called Siniristilippu , dates from the beginning of the 20th century. On a white background, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity. The state flag has a coat of arms in the centre, but is otherwise identical to the civil flag. The swallow-tailed...
and Russia
Flag of Russia
The flag of Russia is a tricolour flag of three equal horizontal fields, white on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. The flag was first used as an ensign for Russian merchant and war ships and only became official in 1896...
, with blue and red stripes on a white and silver background, and a blue undercarriage.
See also
- Finland station, St. Petersburg
- Helsinki Central railway stationHelsinki Central railway stationHelsinki Central railway station is a widely recognised landmark in central Helsinki, Finland, and the focal point of public transport in the Greater Helsinki area. The station is used by approximately 200,000 passengers per day, making it Finland's most-visited building...
- Riihimäki-Saint Petersburg railroadRiihimäki-Saint Petersburg railroadThe Riihimäki–Saint Petersburg Railway is a long segment of the Helsinki–Saint Petersburg connection, which is divided between Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast in Russia and the province of Southern Finland in Finland.-History:...