Map of the Finnish railway-routes

  Access to and from car-sleeper trains. Routes in red.

  Train routes.

  Train tickets valid on these buses.

Planned network of high-speed trains

The interior of the Pendolino was designed by the world-famous Giugiaro and the comfortable seats are made in Finland. In every compartment of the Pendolino the seats have an exceptional 1+2 lay-out, giving you room to travel comfortably.

The train is equipped with air-conditioning, electronic doors, a service for the disabled, info monitors, public telephones, the chance to listen to music and other audio channels, and a separate smoking area. The Pendolino also has an office compartment equipped with telephones, fax and overhead projector, and any other technical devices you may require.

The coaches are designed to tilt to ensure maximum passenger comfort at all times. They are also pleasantly quiet even when travelling at top speed. The pressurised body prevents shock effect when the train enters a tunnel. The Pendolino trains have been developed and manufactured by Fiat Ferroviaria, in co-operation with Transtech, a Finnish rolling stock company.

•Top speed 220 km/h.

•4000 kW/5438 h.p

•Length 158.9 m

•Car width 3.2 m

•Weight 312 t

•264 seats (2 disabled places)

The Pendolino S 220 now takes Finland into the era of the fast train. The first route in Finland to offer the Pendolino is the coastal line between Turku and Helsinki. By train you travel from city centre to city centre, and the Pendolino is, of course, powered by pollution-free electricity.

1 Motor car

Driving cab · Conference compartment · 41 seats · Info monitors · Toilet

2 Passenger car

51 seats · Info monitors · Toilet

Customer service point · Bistro · 2 disabled places · Disabled Toilet

Disabled lift · Tele-cardphone · Info monitors · Toilet

4 Passenger car

51 seats · Info monitors · Toilet

5 Passenger car

51 seats · Info monitors · Toilet

6 Motorcar

41 seats · Info monitors ·ToiletDriving cab · Smoking area

Sm 3 - S220 - The Finnish Pendolino

An increase in the speed of railway systems can be achieved either by constructing dedicated lines or only by making modifications to the already existing ones and using tilting trains: the first solution would however require considerable investments and would also involve long implementation schedules and enviromental impact. The second represents an alternative, that gets profit from tilting technology, in which the need of line modifications is really reduced to the minimum, while the strong point is represented by the tilting trainsets. S220 trains have been developed and manufactured by Fiat, in cooperation with Transtech, a Finnish rolling stock company, starting from the ETR 460 development for Italian State Railways and adapting it to specific requirements of VR and to the different climatic conditions.

Why the Pendolino?

To increase speed VR needs new rolling stock. One possibility was to buy new locomotives and new wagons based on on the 80es by VR manufactured InterCity-wagons. Rail lines have however too many curves, so without tilt-technology trains wouldn´t be very fast. It is possible to build InterCity-wagons with NEIKO-tilting bogies, but these don´t have very big tilt angle.

Another possibility was the French TGV or the German ICE, but these need new raillines and for that reason are too expensive. The only available solutions on the market in 1992 were the Swedish X2000 (another X2000 link), the Italian Pendolino and the Spanish Talgo. Reasons to choose the Pendolino were:

•Long tested solution, which is on scheduled traffic for several years •Low axle load and sufficient power •Pressure-proof wagons •Commercial factors

The Train

The Pendolino has been conceived as a EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) to keep axle load to an extremely low level in order to allow the train to negotiate curves at a speed higher by up to 35% if compared witch conventional Intercity trains (loco plus trailers).

The S220, together with the ETR 460, are the third generation of the Pendolino train, in service on the Italian State Railway network since 1988. The electrical traction equipment, with continuous power of 4000 kW, includes GTO chopper/inverter and asynchronous motors. The tilting system in the bogie, located entirely under the body, has permitted the reorganisation of the vestibules and passenger compartment areas. The bogie-to-body connection is extremely simple and easy to make, with clear advantages in terms of a maintenance.

The body, exploiting large aluminium extrusion technology, has substantial modularity and allows extremely low axle weigth, whilst fully respecting the highest safety standards, and allows the best exploitation of the space with different loading gauges.

The trains for VR are composed of 6 vechicles, two traction units, each unit consists of two motor coaches with a 4QC/inverter/converter with four traction motors (one for each bogie), plus a trailer coach with high voltage equipment (25 kV - 50 Hz) and traction transformer. The end coaches are provided with aerodynamic shaped driving cab; on of the trailer coaches (TTC) has a special featured bar section.

The Tilting System

The tilting system makes it possible to increase speed in curves without modifying the existing track and infrastructures, and granting the passengers an excellent level of comfort. The system makes it possible to tilt the body by 8°, corresponding to a compensation of centrifugal acceleration of 1.35 m/s² (8 inches of cant deficiency); this allows the train to run with a non-compensated acceleration equal to 2 m/s² (12 inches of cant deficiency), while the centrifugal acceleration affecting passengers will be equal to 0.65 m/s² (4 inches of cant deficiency).

The delay in tilting is, for the first vehicle, practically zero; whilst in successive carriages the tilt is carried out in real time.

The Bogie

As previously mentioned, the bogie features extremely innovative aspects like the body-to-bogie connection and the arrangement of body tilt actuators on the bogie itself to increase the available space inside the passenger compartment.

Primary and secondary suspension are helical and guarantee -in addition to highest possible safety level against derailment (not easily attainable with pneumatic suspensions in case of failure) -an extremely high degree of comfort.

The bogie frame, the suspensions, the axles of carrying bogie and of the motor bogie are perfectly interchangeable, with the sole expection of the driving axle which has a reducer mounted on it. To reduce unsprung masses the traction motors are installed under the body and are connected to the reducer by a cardan shaft.

Each carrying axle has 3 steel brakes; each driving axle has 2 steel disc brakes. The motor bogies are interchangeable, as well as the trailer bogies.

Particular care has been taken, in order to prevent accumulation of snow and ice, through the introduction of specific protections of secondary suspension and of bogie-to-body connection.

Active Lateral Suspension

To increase passenger comfort, the Pendolino features an efficient active lateral pneumatic suspension. Also this microprocessor controls and guarantees body truing (also negotiating curves, when body is tilted), thereby allowing the lateral shock absorbers to work always under optimum conditions, never getting to the lateral bumpers. This is extremely beneficial because allows the lateral suspension to be very flexible in order to guarantee optimum comfort still ensuring an optimal behaviour at high speeds.

Traction Electrical Equipment

The four quadrant converter/inverter traction equipment is fed by a catenary voltage of 25 kV-50Hz and exploits GTo thyristor technology. The traction motors are asynchronous three-phase, each having a power of 500 kW. The continuous power at rim is 4000 kW, guaranteeing a maximum speed of 220 km/h. The maximum tractive effort at rmis is 163 kN. Regenerative braking is available starting from the maximum speed and maximum braking effort of 140 kN is available from 100 km/h down to approx. complete stop of train.

The central concept behind the traction chain is that it is easily "polytensionable", by simply adding the high voltage equipment and with consequent modifications to some parts of the chain itself. For DC systems, the four quadrant converter GTOs are controlled such as to work as a chopper. The present number of independent traction units guarantees a high degree of redundancy to ensure an outstanding service availability as well as safe journey since "you always get home".

Technical Details

Max. speed: 220 km/h

Power: 4 000 kW

Traction motors: 8 Asynchronous three-phase AC

Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h: 57 s 810 m

Acceleration 0 - 200 km/h: 193 s 6 800 m

Braking 140 - 0 km/h: 750 m

Braking 200 - 0 km/h: 1 650 m

Tractive effort at rims: 163 kN

Length: 158.9 m

Body width: 3.2 m

Height: 3.73 m

Weight: 316 tn

Axel load: 13.25 tn

Wheel diameter: new 890 mm, fully worn 850 mm

Gauge: 1524 mm

Max. tilting angle: 8°

Total number of seats: 262 + 2H

Max. noise level inside: 65 dBA

Usage temperature range: -40°C / +35°C

With the Dm11 Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) ought to come back to Finnish railways, but VR cancelled order on Nov 10 1997, because rail cars do not fulfil the agreed technical

requirements. The biggest problems are too much weight and too high interior noise levels. Six rail cars were already delivered and tested in Finland.

According to the contract the weight of each railcar should be 38 tons, however it weights nearly

9 tons more. The noise level inside is around 12 decibels higher than was written in the contract. The railcars will be returned to the manufacturer.

The last DMU on Finnish railroads was the Dm9 in 1990 between Turku and Uusikaupunki. Then old DMUs were replaced with locomotive hauled trains. But later in the 1990s there were needs to decrease the costs of short passenger trains. After international competition a series of 16 rail cars were ordered in 1995 with a value of 80 million Finnish marks (about 27 million German marks). The first Dm11 was delivered in February 1997.

Buses were manufactured by GEC Alsthom in Barcelona, Spain. They have diesel-engines and can be driven from both ends. The driver also acts as a conductor. They have place for 145 passengers, with 79 sitting. Even the WC is planned to be easy to use also by people with disabilities.

Width: 3,3 m

Heigth: 3,9 m

Length over buffer: 23,6 m

Axel arrangement: ?

Number of Axels: 4

Wheel diameter: ?

Max. speed: 120 km/h

Weigth in running order: 37,7 t

Continuous power rating: 410 kW

The Dm8 and the Dm9 were first thought to replace the Dm7 in commuter traffic around Helsinki, but the Dm8 was chanced in the early planning stage to an express train with first class. The Dm8 was first introduced in revenue traffic in summer 1964. The Dm9 was in commuter traffic around Helsinki in 1965, but withdrawn in January 1966 and changed to an express train with first class. The Dm9 had in commuter traffic 232 sitting places, as an express train with first class 196. Max. three Dm8 or Dm9 could be coupled together with automatic Scharfenberg-Runnvika type coupler. Both had bogies and automatic doors made by SIG - Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft.

They were withdrawn from normal services in the late 1980's, and last run on spring 1990. Several units are being stored, and they sometimes run in summer, e.g. at Suolahti Steam Festival.

Type: DMU-3

Length: 78,7 m

Axel arrangement: B'2+2'2'+2'B'

Number of Axels: 12

Wheel diameter new: 920 mm

Number of sitting places: Dm8: 30+157=187

Weigth in running order: Dm8: 131 t; Dm9: 132 t

Max. axle load: Dm8: 14,7 t; Dm9: 15,1 t

Continuous power rating: 2*370 kW=740 kW

Max. speed: 140 km/h

Manufacturer: Valmet Oy Aeroplane Works, Tampere

This is a legendary DMU in Finland. They were used from the mid-50's to the late 80's and nowadays they can be seen in traffic museum. More info in Finnish from here. The manufacturer was Valmet Oy, Tampereen tehdas.

•Width: 3100mm •Height: 3400mm

•Length: 16660mm

•Axel arrangement: (1A)(A1)

•Diameter of a wheel: new 790mm, old 720mm •Power transfer: mechanic

•Length of the wheelsystem: 12000mm

•Numbers: (originally) 4020-4216

•Max speed: 95km/h

•Weight: 19,4t

Dieselmotor: •Manufactured by Valmet Oy, Linnavuoren tehdas •Type: Valmet 815D •Gearing: Wilson R11A •Fuel tank: 3000 l •Power: 130kW •Rotation: 33r/s

The Dr15 was a trial locomotive for a series of heavy diesel locomotives. The locomotive was modified from a Dr12 locomotive in January 1980, but changed back to a Dr12 locomotive in 1984.

In 1978 VR considered to modernizing Dr12 locomotives. But as new lines were electricified in 1982, VR decided to buy new shunting locomotives with weigth about 80 t and about 1500 kW power being capable to haul passenger and freight trains but also to do shunting work. This was later realisied in the Dr16.

Type: diesel-electric

Axle arrangement: Co'Co'

Number of axels: 6, from which 6 with power

Length overall: 18,56 m

Total weigth: 116 t

Diesel engine: Wärsilä-Vaasa 12V22

Power: 1910 kW

Max. speed: 140 km/h

Wheel diameter: new 1180 mm, fully worn 1106 mm

The Dr12 is the most legendary of all Finnish diesel engines. Its immense weight and size would impress anyone standing near it. Unfortunately the only remaining engines are in museums. More info (in Finnish) can be found here. The series was manufactured by Valmet Oy and Lokomo Oy 1959-1963.

•Width: 3200mm •Axel arrangement: Co'Co'

•Heigth: 4660mm •Length of the wheelsystem: 13720mm

•Length: 18560mm •Diameter of the wheel: new 1180mm, old 1106mm

•Numbers: (originally) 2200-2241 •Max speed: 120km/h

•Power transfer: electric •Weight: 116,7t

: •Manufactured by Tampella Oy/MAN •Type: MAN V8V 22/30 m.A.u.L. •Power: 1400kW •Rotational speed: 15r/s •Power transferring system: Strömberg-BBC •Fuel tank: 4200l

The Sv 1 was a trial locomotive for converters and AC 3 phase traction motors. The Sv1 was a light shunting and freight locomotive. It was changed from a Dv12 locomotive number 2501.The locomotive was manufactured by VR Hyvinkää works, and the electrical parts come from Oy Strömberg Ab, now part of ABB. The locomotive was ready in June 1980 and changed back to a Dv12 in 1984.

Type: electric

Axle arrangement: B'B'

Number of axels: 4, from which 4 with power

Length overall: 14,0 m

Width: 3,24 m

Heigth: 4,6 m

Total weigth: 63 t

Continuous power: 1130 kW

Max. speed: 125 km/h with M-transmission, 85 km/h with T-transmission

Manufacturer: VR Hyvinkää works, electric parts Oy Strömberg Ab

Year of completion: 1980

Number of ever build: 1

Year of withdrawn: 1984

In Finland there is only one railway company, VR. There are trains every hour from Helsinki to Tampere and from Helsinki to Kouvola. From Helsinki to Turku there are trains every two hours. On this line, at the moment, the commercial S220 Pendolino high speed train test traffic runs. On other lines there are mostly two to four trains a day. There is intensive commuter train traffic on lines between Helsinki and Kirkkonummi and Helsinki and Riihimäki.Outside the Helsinki area there are very few local trains.

Over the last 30 years, local traffic on railways has declined and long distance traffic has become more important. Market share of railway traffic has declined, although numbers of passengers and passenger kilometres have rised. In 1996 there were 4 700 000 trips and 3 254 000 passenger kilometres, with a rise of 2.2%. Market shares of railway traffic were 5.2% from total passenger traffic. Buses had 12.6%, aeroplanes had 1.2% and private cars 79.4%.

The main railway network in Finland measures 5,660 km. About 91.5% of the network consists of single-track lines. About 37% of the railway network, i.e. 2,073 km, is electrified. Electric trains handles some 65% of the total railway traffic.

A comparison of HST EMU classes ( other high-speed trains, not used in Finland )

Class  weight/  Axle    power/     weight/   Start    0-100km/h 0-200km/h

       length   loading weight     passenger acceler. stretch   stretch

       (kgs/m)  (tons)  (kW/tons)  (kgs)     m/s^2    meters    meters

=======================================================================

BM70   1963     18.0     7.3        883      0.61     910

BM71   1840     14.3    16.0        877      1.01     449

ETR450 1780             11.6       1250

HST125 1902     17.4     8.1        693

IC225  1909     20.4     9.5        937

ICE1   2230     19.5    12.02      1240               900        6850

ICE2   2035     19.5    11.96      1130

ICE3   2042     16      19.56      1046

ICT    1900     15      12          990

ICT-D  1900             11.2       1030

S220   1988     13.3    12.67      1170               810        6800

Thalys 2120     17      18.87      1125

X2-2   2357     18.3    13.6       1194      0.59     720 

X2000  2091     18.3     8.8       1198      0.46     916        8000

Max. power: 2645 kW

Max. speed: 210 km/h

Max. traction: 116 kN (during start)

Max. brake force: 65 kN

Total weight: 149 tones (including passengers)

Source http://www.ifi.uio.no/~terjek/rail/nsb/matriell/bm71.html

ETR 450

Electrical system 3000 V DC

Formation: 8+1 (8 power cars, 1 trailer)

Built: 1988-

Builder: Fiat, ABB

Number built: 15

Weight: Complete train: 430 t

Weight: Motor coach: 50 t

Weight: Trailer car: 30 t

Length: Train: 242 m

Car: 26,9 m

Seating: 344 (one class)

Power equipment: Thyristor Chopper

Traction motors: 12 x 312.5 kW - total 5000 kW

Max. speed: 250 km/h

Braking system: Air and rheostatic

Electric brake capacity: 7800 kW

Source: Hi-Tech Trains by Arthur Tayler

Formation: 2+8 or 2+7 (Data for 2 Locomotives, 8 trailers)

Built: 1974-82

Builder: BREL

Number built: 95 sets

Weight: Complete train: 416 t (2+8)

Weight: Trailer car: 33.5 t

Length: Trailer: 33.5 m

Seating: typical 600

Locomotive: Class 43

Wheel arrangement: BoBo

Power equipment: Diesel electric

Rating: 2*1679 kW

Traction motors: 4 dc

Max. speed: 200 km/h

Length: 17.37 m

Weight: Locomotive: 69.5 t

Braking system: Electropneumatic with discs

Source: Hi-Tech Trains by Arthur Tayler p. 38.

Electrical system 25 kV ac 50 Hz

Formation: 1+10 (1 Locomotive, 9 trailers, 1 driving van trailer)

Built: 1988-

Builder: GEC/BREL

Number built: 31 sets

Weight: Complete train: 476 t

Weight: Trailer car: 40 t

Length: Trailer: 23,0 m

Width: 2,74 m

Seating: typical 508

Locomotive: Class 91

Wheel arrangement: BoBo

Power equipment: Thyristor

Traction motors: 4 dc separately-excited

Rating: 4530 kW

Peak output: 4700 kW

Max. speed: 225 km/h

Length: 19,4 m

Width: 2,74 m

Weight: Locomotive: 81.5 t

Wheel diameter: 1000 mm

Braking system: Air and Rheostatic

Source: Hi-Tech Trains by Arthur Tayler

locomotive    mass  78   t 

train         mass 690   t (10 cars)

2nd class car mass  53.6 t (803)

                locomotive                  train

axle load (max)                                19.5 t

power (cont.)   4800 kW                      9600 kW

power (max.)    7600 kW                     15200 kW

top speed                                     280 km/h

mass/length                                     2.23 t/m

mass/seat                                       1.24 t/seat

power/mass                                     12.02 kW/t

power/seat                                     14.88 kW/seat

Dynamics with 14 carriages:

              Acceleration   Acceleration      Braking distance

              time from 0    distance from 0   normal  emergency

----------------------------------------------------------------

100 km/h          1m06s           900 m

200 km/h          3m20s          6850 m

250 km/h          6m20s         18350 m        4820 m  2300 m

Source http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/ice/ice1.html.

locomotive mass 78 t

2nd class car 47.4 t (806)

power (cont.) 5000 kW

tractive eff. 200 kN

top speed 280 km/h

mass/length 2.035 t/m

mass/seat 1.13 t/seat

power/mass 11.96 kW/t

power/seat 13.51 kW/seat

Source http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/ice/ice2.html.

Data for type 403 train

Max axle load 16 t

Length 200.32 m

Width 2.95 m

Height 3.89 m

Mass (empty) 409 t

Power (cont) 8000 kW

Top speed 330 km/h

Mass/length 2.042 t/m

Mass/seat 1.046 t/seat

Power/mass 19.56 kW/t

Power/seat 20.46 kW/seat

Source ICE 3: the third generation

Data for type 411 with seven cars

Max tilt angle 8°

Power 4000 kW

Max speed 230 km/h

Length 184.4 m

63 seats 1st class, 309 seats 2nd class

Maximum axle load is 15 t

Width 2.85 m

Heigth 3.89 m

Wheel diameter 0.89 m

Mass 250 t (empty)

Mass/length 1.9 t/m

Seats/length 1.91 seats/m

Mass/seat 0.99 t/seat

Power/mass 12 kW/t

Power/seat 11.86 kW/seat

Source ICT - InterCity-NeiTech (Class 411/415)

Max tilt angle 8°

Diesel engine rating 4 x 560=  2240 kW

Power of AC traction motors 8 x 225= 2000 kW

Max speed 200 km/h

Number of seats 195

Weight 200 t

Length 107 m ??

Mass/length 1.9 t/m

Seats/length 1.8 seats/m

Mass/seat 1.03 t/seat

Power/mass 11.2 kW/t

Power/seat 11.49 kW/seat

Sources ICT-D - InterCity-NeiTech, Diesel version (Class 605),

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Transportation Systems Group

Overall length: 200.19 m

Length of power unit: 22.15 m

Length of middle trailers: 18.70 m

Width: 2.904 m

Total mass in running order: 385 t

Total mass under normal load: 424 t

Top Speed: 300 km/h (186 mph)

Number Ordered: 17 (10 recently cancelled)

Traction Motors: 8 3-phase AC asynchronous motors, total power 8800 kW (12000 hp) under 25kV supply

Sources: http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/tgv/thalys.html,

http://mercurio.iet.unipi.it/tgv/spotter.html#thalys

Technical Details

Max. speed 220 km/h

Power 4 000 kW

Acceleration 0 - 100 km/h 57 s 810 m

Acceleration 0 - 200 km/h 193 s 6 800 m

Braking 140 - 0 km/h 750 m

Braking 200 - 0 km/h 1 650 m

Traction effort at rims 163 kN

Length 158.9 m

Body width 3.2 m

Weight 316 tn

Axel load 13.25 tn

Gauge 1524 mm

Max. tilting angle 8°

Total number of seats 262 + 2H

Usage temperature range -40°C / +35°C

Storage temperature -45°C

Sources: http://www.soffco.fi/artik/pendo.html, S220 Pendolino brochure from Fiat Ferroviaria

Length: 140 m

Weight: 340 t

Locomotive axle load: 18 t

Passenger car axle load: 12 t

Max. continuous power: 3260 kW

Max. tractive effort: 160 kN

Max. permitted speed 210 km/h

Service speed 200 km/h