Finland - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services
Introduction
This list is based on the timetable period 15 December 2024 to 29 March 2025. Standard abbreviations are explained here.
Map references for each route entry are given in parentheses ( ). References prefixed "ERA-E" refer to the European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball. References prefixed "ERA-R" refer to the European Railway Atlas (Regional Series: Book 1) by M.G. Ball.
Obscure services
Tampere avoiding line: Lempäälä (Tampere Viinikka) – Orivesi (Tampere Järvensivu)
(ERA-E 6C3; ERA-R 10C5) FI25/1
This south to east curve links the Helsinki and Jyväskylä lines. On occasions when overnight trains to and from northern Finland are diverted via Haapamäki because of engineering work on the main line via Parkano, they usually run via the avoiding line and reverse in and out of Tampere station. This is to avoid reversing the formation of the trains, particularly those carrying cars. Use of the avoiding line normally occurs between the stops at Tampere and Seinäjoki. However such diversions are now very rare as the newer Edm sleeping cars need a generator van on non-electrified lines and these are stationed in the north of the country for the sleeper services to Kolari.
(Tampere -) Kokemäki - Rauma
(ERA-E 7A3; ERA-R 10A5-A4) FI25/2
VR ran midsummer specials to Rauma on two days in 2023 and on 20 & 23 June 2024. It is therefore possible they will do so again in 2025. See The latest news on VR's train traffic nearer the time.
Other freight lines
Occasional specials are operated over other lines - particularly in the summer - by preservation societies. An annual listing is produced by Resiina magazine and the Heritage Railway Association of Finland.
Trams
See Finland - Tram services over obscure routes
Other sparse services
The following lines have few trains (relative to service levels generally in this country) - fewer than four trains each way on at least three days a week - or do not run each weekday
| 1, 8 and 9 | Turku – Turku satama (harbour) | Three trains each way |
| 7 | Rovaniemi – Kemijärvi | One overnight train each way from/to Helsinki. |
| 7 | Kemi (Laurila) – Tornio - Kolari | Irregular service pattern. Check timetable |
| 9 | Pieksämäki – Joensuu | Two trains a day each way |
| 11 | Haapamäki – Ähtäri (- Seinäjoki) | Two trains a day each way |
| 14 | Joensuu – Nurmes | Two trains a day each way |
| 18 | Ilsalmi – Ylivieska | One train a day each way and one SX in one direction and SuX in the other. |
Deletions since previous edition
| FI24/2 | Lahti – Salpausselkä | No trains appear to have run for a number of years |
| FI24/3 | Turku Logomo/Platform 17 | All services (only Tampere as Helsinki trains were still running only to Kupittaa) moved to the new Turku Logomo station on 5 August |
| 11 | Haapamäki – Keuruu (- Jyvaskyla) | Now more trains |
