VR Class Sm6
Encyclopedia
The Sm6 Allegro is a high-speed train which runs between Helsinki
, Finland
, and St. Petersburg, Russia
. The service started on 12 December 2010. On board the inaugural service were Finnish president Tarja Halonen
and Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin
.
's earlier Sm3 Pendolino
series, but is based on the fourth generation 'Pendolino Nuovo' or 'New Pendolino
' designs and its construction differs from the Sm3 in many ways.
Unlike the Sm3, which has a Fiat-designed hydraulic tilting mechanism, the Sm6 is equipped with Alstom's newer tilting bogies with pneumatic operation. The top speed of the train in passenger traffic is 220 km/h (136.7 mph) and the train can run at a speed of at least 200 km/h (124.3 mph) between Tikkurila and Luumäki and Vyborg and Saint-Petersburg after extensive rail works. The aim is to reduce travel time between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg from 5½ hours to three hours. The travel time in 2011 is 3:36.
The trains are owned by Karelian Trains
, a 50–50 joint venture between VR Group (Finnish Railways) and Russian Railways (RZhD).
The Sm6 is equipped to operate on both the Finnish and Russian standard railways. The units have a dual electric system for using both the Finnish 25 kV, 50 Hz alternating current and the Russian 3 kV direct current. The wheelsets are built to run at over 200 km/h (124.3 mph) speeds on both the Finnish 1524 millimetre and the slightly narrower Russian 1520 millimetre gauge, and the doors are equipped with a retractable step to make boarding from both Finnish 550 mm (21.7 in) high and Russian 1100 mm (43.3 in) high platforms easy. The units are equipped for both the Finnish and Russian railway technical systems, which differ substantially.
Sm6 stands for electric multiple unit
model 6. The name Allegro
is the musical term for quick tempo
.
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
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, and St. Petersburg, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The service started on 12 December 2010. On board the inaugural service were Finnish president Tarja Halonen
Tarja Halonen
Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the incumbent President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency...
and Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
.
Overview
The Sm6 appears similar to VRVR 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...
's earlier Sm3 Pendolino
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...
series, but is based on the fourth generation 'Pendolino Nuovo' or 'New Pendolino
New Pendolino
The New Pendolino is a class of high-speed tilting trains built by Alstom Ferroviaria for Trenitalia and the swiss Railway SBB CFF FFS, known as the ETR 600 and ETR 610, respectively...
' designs and its construction differs from the Sm3 in many ways.
Unlike the Sm3, which has a Fiat-designed hydraulic tilting mechanism, the Sm6 is equipped with Alstom's newer tilting bogies with pneumatic operation. The top speed of the train in passenger traffic is 220 km/h (136.7 mph) and the train can run at a speed of at least 200 km/h (124.3 mph) between Tikkurila and Luumäki and Vyborg and Saint-Petersburg after extensive rail works. The aim is to reduce travel time between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg from 5½ hours to three hours. The travel time in 2011 is 3:36.
The trains are owned by Karelian Trains
Karelian Trains
Oy Karelian Trains Ltd is a joint venture agreed on 23 November 2006 between Russian Railways and VR Group 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...
, a 50–50 joint venture between VR Group (Finnish Railways) and Russian Railways (RZhD).
The Sm6 is equipped to operate on both the Finnish and Russian standard railways. The units have a dual electric system for using both the Finnish 25 kV, 50 Hz alternating current and the Russian 3 kV direct current. The wheelsets are built to run at over 200 km/h (124.3 mph) speeds on both the Finnish 1524 millimetre and the slightly narrower Russian 1520 millimetre gauge, and the doors are equipped with a retractable step to make boarding from both Finnish 550 mm (21.7 in) high and Russian 1100 mm (43.3 in) high platforms easy. The units are equipped for both the Finnish and Russian railway technical systems, which differ substantially.
Sm6 stands for electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
model 6. The name Allegro
Allegro
Allegro may refer to:* Allegro * Musical tempo meaning cheerful or brisk; see Tempo#Italian tempo markings* Allegro library, a computer game programming library* Allegro , a typeface designed in 1936...
is the musical term for quick tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
.