Rantarata
Encyclopedia
is a railway running between Helsinki Central railway station
and Turku railway stations in Finland. Its first segment, linking Turku to Karis
, was commissioned in 1895, and work began the following year. The Turku–Karis track was opened for temporary traffic on 1 April 1899 and for permanent use on 1 November 1899. The second part of the , linking Karis to Helsinki, was approved in 1897 and opened for traffic in 1902–1903.
The track was done to serve primarily in commuter traffic and was therefore laid out with many curves and as few tunnels and expensive earthworks as possible. This resulted in a series of corrections and straightening of curves, a work with began in the 1910s and continued all the way to the 1990s.
As a part of the original plan, all of the stations along the featured wooden station houses designed by the architect Bruno Granholm
. Over the years many of these wood station building had been dismantled to make way for newer structures, such as Leppävaara railway station
in 1999. Some of the old buildings still remain, Kauniainen railway station
being the most significant example.
The track between Helsinki and Kirkkonummi
was upgraded with 25 kV AC railway electrification during the 1960s, being the first government-owned electrified railway line in Finland. Together with other improvements and maintenance, the Kirkkonummi–Karis track received its overhead lines in 1992. Coinciding with the purchase of VR Group
's first VR Class Sm3
"Pendolino
" high-speed trains, the remaining track between Karis and Turku Harbour was electrified in 1995, completing the route.
The passenger service to Uusikaupunki
was cancelled in the early 1990s, while freight traffic continues through the port of Uusikaupunki.
The name Rantarata is Finnish
for "coast track".
Helsinki Central railway station
Helsinki Central railway station is a widely recognised landmark in central Helsinki, Finland, and the focal point of public transport in the Greater Helsinki area. The station is used by approximately 200,000 passengers per day, making it Finland's most-visited building...
and Turku railway stations in Finland. Its first segment, linking Turku to Karis
Karis
Karis is a former Finnish town and Finnish municipality in Finland. On January 1, 2009, it was consolidated with Ekenäs and Pohja that formed the new town of Raseborg....
, was commissioned in 1895, and work began the following year. The Turku–Karis track was opened for temporary traffic on 1 April 1899 and for permanent use on 1 November 1899. The second part of the , linking Karis to Helsinki, was approved in 1897 and opened for traffic in 1902–1903.
The track was done to serve primarily in commuter traffic and was therefore laid out with many curves and as few tunnels and expensive earthworks as possible. This resulted in a series of corrections and straightening of curves, a work with began in the 1910s and continued all the way to the 1990s.
As a part of the original plan, all of the stations along the featured wooden station houses designed by the architect Bruno Granholm
Bruno Granholm
Bruno Ferdinand Granholm was a Finnish architect. He served as the chief architect of Rautatiehallitus between 1892 and 1926...
. Over the years many of these wood station building had been dismantled to make way for newer structures, such as Leppävaara railway station
Leppävaara railway station
Leppävaara railway station is a station on the VR commuter rail network located in Leppävaara, a district of the city of Espoo in Finland. It is located about to the northwest/west of Helsinki Central railway station.-History:...
in 1999. Some of the old buildings still remain, Kauniainen railway station
Kauniainen railway station
Kauniainen railway station is a station on the VR commuter rail network located in the town of Kauniainen, Finland. The station building was designed by architect Bruno Granholm, and it was built in 1908. The station building was heavily damaged in a fire on 2008-08-30.-Connections:- External...
being the most significant example.
The track between Helsinki and Kirkkonummi
Kirkkonummi
Kirkkonummi is a municipality of inhabitants in southern Finland. The literal meaning of the words "Kirkkonummi" and "Kyrkslätt" in English is "church moor"....
was upgraded with 25 kV AC railway electrification during the 1960s, being the first government-owned electrified railway line in Finland. Together with other improvements and maintenance, the Kirkkonummi–Karis track received its overhead lines in 1992. Coinciding with the purchase of VR Group
VR Group
VR or VR Group is a state-owned railway company in Finland. Formerly known as Suomen Valtion Rautatiet until 1922 and Valtionrautatiet / Statsjärnvägarna until 1995...
's first VR Class Sm3
VR Class Sm3
The Sm3 Pendolino is a class of high-speed body-tilting trains operated by VR Group. It is a member of the Pendolino train family; its design is based on the ETR 460. The first two trainsets were assembled in Finland by Rautaruukki-Transtech in the mid-1990s...
"Pendolino
Pendolino
Pendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
" high-speed trains, the remaining track between Karis and Turku Harbour was electrified in 1995, completing the route.
The passenger service to Uusikaupunki
Uusikaupunki
Uusikaupunki , is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the Finland Proper region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is inland water. The population density is .The municipality is unilingually Finnish...
was cancelled in the early 1990s, while freight traffic continues through the port of Uusikaupunki.
The name Rantarata is Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
for "coast track".