Border Crossings: Finland - Russia: Difference between revisions

From EGTRE
Jump to navigationJump to search
No edit summary
(No difference)

Revision as of 12:17, 1 January 2013

All rail routes between this pair of countries are 1520mm gauge.

(Kemijärvi -) Kelloselkä VR - Alakurti RŽD

[D] This line, opened as part of Finnish war reparations to Russia, may never have carried any through traffic. It has long been out of use east of Kelloselkä, though track still remains in place from there towards the Russian border beyond which the line is partially lifted. In 2006 the last remaining traffic (timber) on the section of line between Isokylä (just east of Kemijärvi) and Kelloselkä ceased. RHK (Finnish equivalent of Network Rail) have now mothballed the entire line east of Isokylä pending a decision to be made in conjunction with Russian and Swedish authorities on a possible reopening as part of a through route to cater for the predicted vast increase in container traffic from China to America’s west coast via train through Russia, Finland and Sweden to Norway for transferring to ships.

(Kontiomäki -) Vartius VR - Kostomuksha RŽD

[D] Freight only. Most of it is iron-ore pellets from a mine/processing plant at Kostomuksa (some 30 km inside Russia) which go to the steel works at Raahe and also to the port of Kokkola for export. On the Russian side a new line 126 km long opened in 2001 from Ledmozero to Kotshkoma considerably reduced the distance from Vartius to the Archangel area of Russia. It was hoped this would lead to a significant increase in traffic. However due to a lack of funds signalling and telecommunication works on the line were never completed severely restricting its capacity. The line from Vartius to Kontiomäki will be electrified by the end of 2006 along with the line from Oulu via Kontiomäki to Iisalmi. It is hoped to extend electrification all the way to Kotshkoma in the long term.

Niirala VR - Vyartsilya RŽD

[D] Freight only. Mainly used to import raw timber to Finland: this amounted to 2.5 million tonnes last year.

Parikkala VR - Elisenvarra RŽD

[D] The tracks have been lifted across the border.

Imatrankoski VR - Svetogorsk RŽD

[D] Freight only, but see Obscure Service FI03/2. Mainly used to import raw timber and wood products to Finland, which amounted to 2.6 million tonnes in 2000.

(Kouvola -) Vainikkala VR - Luzhaika RŽD (- Sankt Peterburg)

[E*] Allegro high-speed trainsets were introduced at the December 2010 timetable change on the 2 daytime services between Helsinki and St Petersburg, cutting the journey time from six hours to three and a half. All border and customs inspections take place on board these trains in both countries. RŽD dual-system electric locos (3kV dc/25kV 50Hz) work into Finland on freight trains and the overnight service to and from Moscow.

Last year 7.7 million tonnes of freight mainly, raw wood, oil, gas and fertiliser crossed the border into Finland. 550,000 tonnes passed the other way mainly construction materials, farm machinery and consumer goods. Out of all this 2.5 million tonnes of freight go directly to and from Finnish Sea ports for export and import to from other countries.

See also