VR Group

VR - Yhtymä Oy, also VR Group ( VR for short ), is a which originate from the Finnish State Railways Logistics Group. In addition to railway belonging to him subsidiaries operate nowadays among others also bus and truck traffic.

In its present form, the VR is a public company whose shares are fully state-owned. The corporation was founded in 1995 when the State Railway, founded in 1862, which had until then Valtionrautatiet ( " State Railway " ) called, was split into two parts. VR took over the rolling, while the railways fell to the newly formed railway management center ( Ratahallintokeskus ). The railway administration center was incorporated into the Department of Transportation ( Liikennevirasto ) 2010.

Apart from some heritage railways and the transport company of the city of Helsinki, the a subway and a tram operates in Helsinki, VR was long the only railway company in Finland. However, rail freight has been opened up to competition in 2007, and also for rail passenger traffic is scheduled the same. The first private competitor of VR in rail freight company Proxion Train will begin operation in 2013. The S-Bahn Helsinki is indeed run by the BoD, but transport authorities, the regional transport association HSL. The newer features of the S -Bahn are not VR, but the company was founded in 2004 Pääkaupunkiseudun Junakalusto.

• 4.1 steam locomotives
• 4.2 diesel locomotives
• 4.3 railcars
• 4.4 Electric Locomotives
• 4.5 Historically

History

Railway construction began relatively late in Finland. The first line was opened on January 31, 1862 between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna and operated from the beginning of the VR. 1870 was a connection completed to St. Petersburg, and thus the time classified as a priority link to the capital of the Russian Empire. As part of this empire, the tracks were laid in the Russian broad gauge (1524 mm) in Finland from the beginning. 1959 that gauge was adjusted geringefügig, as new nominal track gauge 1520 mm were determined.

On 22 June 1876, the route Helsinki - Hämeenlinna to Tampere on Toijala was extended. Simultaneously, a branch of Toijala was opened to Turku. Thus, the three main cities of the country were connected. 1878 followed a link from Tampere and Seinäjoki to Vaasa Haapamäki, and six years later was joined by Oulu Seinäjoki from. 1909, finally, the capital of Lapland Rovaniemi has been reached.

The railway construction sat still far away until the 20th century. Important sections, such as the 1970, this route Parkano -Seinäjoki, which significantly shortened the connection of southern Finland in the north could be opened in the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1968, an extensive electrification program with the current system 25 kV 50 Hz A year later, the first electrical section between Helsinki and Kirkkonummi was put into operation.

Presence

Importance

In the last 30 years declined in Finland, as in most other European countries, the market share of rail passenger transport. 1996, the Finnish transport shared the passenger as follows:

• Car Transport: 79.4 %
• Bus: 12.6%
• Railways ( VR): 5.2%
• Aircraft: 1.2%

In absolute terms, the rail passenger transport actually increased. In 1996 alone increased passenger kilometer by 2.2 % (after slight declines during the economic crisis of the early 1990s). Freight transport has developed particularly positively 1960-1998. Despite the economic crisis, the goods transport numbers between 1990 and 1995 have obviously no burglary. Development of traffic:

• (1 ): Development of passenger-kilometers in billions
• ( 2): Figures in billion net tonne-kilometers

Route network

In 1996 the route network of RHK ( Ratahallintokeskus, "Central Railway administration " ) was 5660 km long. Of this 37 %, that is 2073 km electrified. Electric trains contributed 65 % of total traffic. Meanwhile, other routes were electrified, including Oulu - Rovaniemi and in 2006 the routes Iisalmi - Kontiomäki - Oulu and Kontiomäki - Vartius. Since 1982, when the network still 6041 kilometers included, 381 km were shut down.

The network is still mainly single track (91.5 %). In the Helsinki region 's tracks were built for the Helsinki tram on busy routes, which runs on the tracks of the otherwise long distance.

Travel times and speeds

The top speed for conventional trains is 160 km / h Since the VR but trains that are faster than 140 km / h must be fitted with an additional train drivers, they drive this speed just to catch any delays. For 160 km / h sections 2003 ( Helsinki ) Kerava -Tampere -Seinäjoki and ( Helsinki ) Espoo Karis - Salo - Turku were admitted.

The Pendolinozüge are an exception: You may between Kerava and Tampere and between Karis and Salo 200 km / h, between Espoo and Karis and between Salo and Turku 180 km / h drive.

On 3 September 2006, the new line Kerava - Lahti was opened. This journey times between Helsinki and the eastern regions of Finland and Russia is shortened significantly.

Travel times and average speeds of the fastest trains from Helsinki (2005, still without new line Kerava - Lahti ):

Manufacturer of the Pendolino is Alstom. The Finnish Transtech provides double -deck coaches for intercity traffic, double-deck sleeping cars and double-decker car carriers.

New Developments

Opened in September 2006, Kerava - Lahti new line today also developed Hochgeschwindkeitsverkehr between Helsinki and St. Petersburg. This traffic is handled by Finnish and Russian state railways together under brand name Allegro ( train ) by a new generation of train Pendolino. Pendolinozüge In cross-border transport are used, compared to on Finnish main roads since 1990s Pendolino locomotives, allegedly by somewhat different design.

In 2012 the Finnish Railway celebrated its 150th anniversary.

Locomotives

Steam locomotives

• Hr1 - express locomotives of the type 2'C1'h2, from 1937 to 1971 in regular service
• Pr2 - Tender type locomotives 2'C2'h2t, oil furnace, originally built for the Estonian State Railways Eesti Vabariigi Raudtee

Diesel locomotives

• DR12
• DR13
• DR14 - DR14 diesel locomotives of the series are often used on the largest ports and freight railway stations in Finland.
• DR16 - For the newer diesel locomotives in Finland is one of the DR16. The first machine was founded in 1985 by Valmet (now Transtech ). Despite or because of the latest technology, there were initially some problems with this series, not only because of low performance. The DR16 is the first locomotive with three-phase traction motors. 21 locomotives are equipped with SEMT - Pielstick 12PA4V200 VG diesel engines, two prototypes with Wärtsilä engines.
• DV12 - DV12 192 built locomotives of the series created 1964-1984 by Valmet ( even numbers ) and locomotives (odd numbers). You reach 85 km / h G -course in freight or 125 km / h on M -speed passenger trains in and form the backbone of diesel traction.

Railcar

• Sm1 - In the early years after the first electrification of the railcars of class Sm1 led the electric trains through alone. To this day, they do yeoman service in the PRC, and now they have also been modernized.
• Sm2 - The successor series of Sm1 differs by a light metal box, air suspension bogies and in electrical equipment. The trainset consists of a motor car Sm2 and a control car type EIOC. He reached in the range of 0 to 30 km / h acceleration of 0.84 m/s2 ( fully occupied ) and 1.13 m/s2 ( empty). A maximum of six Sm2 and Sm1 units can be coupled to form a train of twelve cars. Normally, however, the lengths of the platforms allow only five units of ten coaches.
• Sm3 - The Pendolino has been tested since 1995. The series Sm3/S220 comes from Fiat, in collaboration with Rautaruukki - Transtech, a Finnish car company. Model is the Italian ETR 460 FS. More than 220 km / h trains were adapted for the specific requirements of VR and different climatic conditions. In 1997, the Board ordered the first eight series EMUs.
• Sm4 - modern railcars for the Helsinki commuter train.
• Sm5 - modern railcars for the Helsinki tram (only operated by VR, the property of Pääkaupunkiseudun Junakalusto ).
• Dm7 - 1955-1988 used in mass transit rail buses.
• DM12 - modern diesel railcars for little -used routes.

Electric locomotives

• Sr1 - The Sr1 were the first electric locomotives in Finland. For diplomatic reasons, they were ordered in the USSR, but many of its electrical parts ( now ABB Finland) made ​​in Finland by Oy Strömberg Ab. Despite its Finnish name incision Siperian susi ( Siberian Wolf) they have been quite reliable. The first locomotives were delivered in 1973. The vehicles have a thyristor Energienentzerrer and DC traction motors.
• Sr2 - The Sr2 are the latest and most powerful electric locomotives in Finland. You can 230 km / h reached, pull InterCity trains up to 160 km / h and can also pull heavy freight trains. About 50% of the machine was built in Finland. The first 20 copies ordered were delivered in 1996. On 12 January 1999, the Board ordered 20 more locomotives and on 29 December 2000 another six piece so that the date of delivery of the last Lok ( 2003) of the total stock is at 46. The Sr2 is part of the ' Lok 2000' family.
• Sr3 - The VR wants to order electric locomotives, with the option for a further 97 electric locomotives of the same type 80 Siemens Vectron. The locomotives are to be delivered in the period 2016 to 2026. 2017 to begin the use of freight and passenger traffic. The locomotives will be built at the Siemens plant in Munich, the landing gear in the Siemens factory in Graz.

Historically

• Hv - This birch wood fired steam locomotives were built mainly in the 1920s and 1930s in locomotives. The first 15 aircraft were delivered in 1919, however Schwartzkopff.