Vyborg–Joensuu railroad
Encyclopedia
Russian gauge
In railway terminology, Russian gauge refers to railway track with a gauge between 1,520 mm and . In a narrow sense as defined by Russian Railways it refers to gauge....
, which used to link Joensuu
Joensuu
Joensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...
, Sortavala
Sortavala
Sortavala is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga. Population: It is an important station of the Vyborg-Joensuu railroad.-History:...
, Hiitola, Antrea (now Kamennogorsk) and Viipuri (Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
). Originally built in 1892-1894 by Finnish State Railways in the Grand Duchy of Finland
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
, in the 1940s most of the railway up to Niirala was ceded by 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...
to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in the Moscow Peace Treaty, Moscow Armistice
Moscow Armistice
The Moscow Armistice was signed between Finland on one side and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on September 19, 1944, ending the Continuation War...
and Paris Peace Treaty
Paris Peace Treaties, 1947
The Paris Peace Conference resulted in the Paris Peace Treaties signed on February 10, 1947. The victorious wartime Allied powers negotiated the details of treaties with Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Finland .The...
as a result of the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
and Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
. Now the track is located in Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
(Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
), Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
and North Karelia
North Karelia
North Karelia is a region in eastern Finland. It borders to the regions of Kainuu, Northern Savonia, Southern Savonia, South Karelia and to Russia.The city of Joensuu is the centre of the North Karelia region.- Municipalities :...
. The Sortavala
Sortavala
Sortavala is a town in the Republic of Karelia, Russia, located at the northern tip of Lake Ladoga. Population: It is an important station of the Vyborg-Joensuu railroad.-History:...
– Joensuu
Joensuu
Joensuu is a city and municipality in North Karelia in eastern Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of North Karelia region. It was founded in 1848...
link across the border was abolished after the Continuation War, but was since restored and is currently in use for cargo traffic.
History
The decision to build a 311 km railway from Viipuri (Viborg) to Joensuu was made by the Diet of FinlandDiet of Finland
The Diet of Finland , was the legislative assembly of the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1809 to 1906 and the recipient of the powers of the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates....
in 1888. Work on the railroad started in 1890, right after work on the Savonia
Savonia (historical province)
Savonia is a historical province in the east of Finland. It borders to Uusimaa, Tavastia, Ostrobothnia, and Karelia. Largest cities in Savo by population are Kuopio, Mikkeli, Savonlinna and Varkaus.-Administration:...
railroad was finished.
A direct link between Hiitola and Finland Station in 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
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...
, was opened in 1917, bypassing the Riihimäki
Riihimäki
Riihimäki is a town and municipality in the south of Finland, about north of Helsinki and southeast of Tampere. It is somewhat of a railway junction, since the railway tracks going from different parts of the nation to Helsinki merge there. Sako, Ltd...
-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...
railroad (see Saint Petersburg-Hiitola railroad).
The bombing of the Elisenvaara
Elisenvaara
Elisenvaara is a settlement in Lakhdenpokhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, and an important station of the Vyborg-Joensuu railroad. The station is also linked by railway to Savonlinna, Finland...
station of the Karelian railroad on 20 June 1944, during the final stages of the Continuation War, was the most fatal bombing in Finnish history; over a hundred civilians were killed when bombs hit a train of Karelian evacuees
Evacuation of Finnish Karelia
As a result of the 1940 Moscow Peace Treaty that concluded the Winter War, Finland ceded the area of Finnish Karelia and other territories to the Soviet Union...
After the Winter War and Continuation War Karelian Isthmus and Ladoga Karelia with Viipuri / Viborg, Hiitola, Elisenvaara and Sortavala (Serdopol) were ceded to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and most stations of the line got to the Soviet side of the new border. In the Moscow Peace Treaty on March 12, 1940, Finland lost the section Viipuri - Antrea - Hiitola - Jaakkima - Sortavala - Matkaselkä - Värtsilä (240 km) to the Soviet Union. Only the Joensuu - Niirala section (71 km) remained in Finland.
In the early 1950s Finland built a new railroad on the Finnish side of the new border, connecting Imatra with the northern part of the Karelian railroad at Säkäniemi.
Branches
- The Vyborg railway stationVyborg railway stationVyborg railway station is a railway station located in the town of Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia.The original station building was built in 1913 but was destroyed in the Continuation War. The current station building was built in Soviet times....
also serves a number of other railroads. - At Kamennogorsk, ex Antrea a 39 km railway to Vuoksenniska branches off from this line. After 1940 and 1944 the Antrea - Enso section (26 km) was ceded to Soviet Union. As of 2007, projects are being discussed to construct a cargo railway along the northern shore of the Vuoksi RiverVuoksi RiverThe Vuoksi River runs in the northernmost part of the Karelian Isthmus from Lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland to Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia. The river enters Lake Ladoga in three branches, an older main northern branch at Priozersk , a smaller branch few km...
linking Kamennogorsk to the Losevo station of the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroadSaint Petersburg–Hiitola railroadThe Saint Petersburg-Hiitola Railway is a 170-kilometre long railway with broad gauge located in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast and Republic of Karelia, which links Finlyandsky Rail Terminal to Hiitola through Devyatkino, Vaskelovo, Sosnovo, Priozersk and Kuznechnoye...
in order to ship Russian crude oil to the sea port of PrimorskPrimorsk, Leningrad OblastPrimorsk is a coastal town in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, and the largest Russian port on the Baltic. It is located on the Karelian Isthmus, west of St. Petersburg, at the northern coast of the Gulf of Finland, near Birch Islands, protected as a sea bird sanctuary...
bypassing the St. Petersburg – Vyborg line. - At Hiitola, km 93, the Karelian railway merges with the Saint Petersburg-Hiitola railroad.
- The ElisenvaaraElisenvaaraElisenvaara is a settlement in Lakhdenpokhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, and an important station of the Vyborg-Joensuu railroad. The station is also linked by railway to Savonlinna, Finland...
station was linked to SavonlinnaSavonlinnaSavonlinna is a town and a municipality of inhabitants in the southeast of Finland, in the heart of the Saimaa lake region. The Finnish name of the town means "Castle of Savonia" and the Swedish name means "Newcastle".- History :...
and ultimately VaasaVaasaVaasa is a city on the west coast of Finland. It received its charter in 1606, during the reign of Charles IX of Sweden and is named after the Royal House of Vasa...
in Finland. The track meets the new Karelian railroad in ParikkalaParikkalaParikkala is a municipality of Finland located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the South Karelia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, on the Finnish side of the border, but the line is closed for traffic and the tracks have been removed in Finnish side to the border. On the Russian side the line from Elisenvaara to Syväoro 13 km still exists and has Sorjo station 7 km from Elisenvaara serving a local border guard station. - The Simpele - Elisenvaara section (22 km) of the Vuoksenniska - ElisenvaaraElisenvaaraElisenvaara is a settlement in Lakhdenpokhsky District of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, and an important station of the Vyborg-Joensuu railroad. The station is also linked by railway to Savonlinna, Finland...
line has been lifted after 1944. This section is used as a local road. It had the following stations and stops: (Simpele 100 km,) Koitsansalo halt 108 km, Lamminsalo station 111 km, Haapavaara halt 114 km, Elisenvaara 122 km - There is an 11 km long industrial railroad, completed in 1911, branching off at Lahdenpohja from the Karelian railroad to the shore of Lake LadogaLake LadogaLake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
. - In 1921 a railroad linking Matkaselkä (km 215) to Naistenjärvi (Naystenyarvi) 139 km was constructed, which was later in turn linked to Pitkäranta, KostomukshaKostomukshaKostomuksha is a town located in the northwestern part of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, from the border with Finland and on the shore of lake Kontoki. Population:...
and PetrozavodskPetrozavodskPetrozavodsk is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia. It stretches along the western shore of the Lake Onega for some . The city is served by Petrozavodsk Airport. Municipally, it is incorporated as Petrozavodsky Urban Okrug . Population:...
. - In the Finnish part of the railroad there is a connection Säkäniemi – ImatraImatraImatra is a town and municipality in eastern Finland, founded in 1948 around three industrial settlements near the Finnish–Russian border. In the course of the last 50 years, this amorphous group of settlements has grown into a modern industrial town dominated by Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River and...
- KouvolaKouvolaKouvola is a town and municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located northeast of the capital, Helsinki.The city has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
through the new Karelian railroad going along the border.
Trains
In Russia the railroad is used to ship petroleumPetroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
to the ports of the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
as well as lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and iron ore pellets from Karelia
Republic of Karelia
The Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
.
Passenger trains
- Vyborg – Kamennogorsk (about 1 h 20 min with all stops as of 2007)
- Vyborg – Kamennogorsk – Svetogorsk (about 1 h 35 min with all stops as of 2007)
- Vyborg – Hiitola (about 3 h with all stops as of 2007)
- Sortavala – Hiitola – Kuznecnoye (abouit 2 h 20 min from Sortavala to Hiitola with all stops as of 2007)
- St. Petersburg (Ladozhsky Rail Terminal)– Hiitola – Sortavala – KostomukshaKostomukshaKostomuksha is a town located in the northwestern part of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, from the border with Finland and on the shore of lake Kontoki. Population:...
(about 2 h 45 m from Hiitola to Sortavala as of 2007)
External links
- The Finnish Historical Newspaper Library 1771-1890 - Karjalan rautatie
- VR 1862 - 1937, and VR 1862 - 1962 (official histories).