Riihimäki-Saint Petersburg railroad
Encyclopedia
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...
–Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
connection, which is divided between Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the province of Southern Finland
Southern Finland
Southern Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Western Finland and Eastern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Finland and Russia.- History :...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
History
It was constructed in 1867-1870 (starting from both ends), entirely by the government of the autonomous Grand Duchy of FinlandGrand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, although the short section between Saint Petersburg and Beloostrov
Beloostrov
Beloostrov , from 1922 to World War II—Krasnoostrov , is a municipal settlement in Kurortny District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, located on the Sestra River, Karelian Isthmus, and a key station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad since 1870 at the junction of Saint...
(where Russian customs was situated in 1870–1939) was laid in Russia (Saint Petersburg Governorate
Saint Petersburg Governorate
Saint Petersburg Governorate , or Government of Saint Petersburg, was an administrative division of the Russian Empire, which existed in 1708–1927....
). The Finlyandsky Rail Terminal was opened in Saint Petersburg in 1870 in order to serve this line.
The rail link starts at the Riihimäki railway station
Riihimäki railway station
Riihimäki railway station is located in the town of Riihimäki, Finland.-History:The Riihimäki railway station is one of the original stations on the main railway track from Helsinki to Hämeenlinna, opened in 1862. The town was originally built because of the railway. In 1870, a track to Saint...
of the Helsinki–Hämeenlinna connection, heading towards the Finlyandsky Railway Terminal of Saint Petersburg through Lahti railway station
Lahti railway station
The Lahti railway station is located in the city of Lahti in Finland.The station was designed by architect Thure Hellström from the VR Group and built in 1935. Because of the depression in the 1930s, the station did not get a third floor, neither did it get a tower, as the Tampere railway station...
, Kouvola railway station
Kouvola railway station
The Kouvola railway station is located in the city of Kouvola in Finland.The Kouvola railway station is an important crossing point station. It is located about from the Helsinki Central railway station. There is also a bus terminal by the station and together they form a travel centre.Kouvola is...
, Vyborg railway station
Vyborg railway station
Vyborg railway station is a railway station located in the town of Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia.The original station building was built in 1913 but was destroyed in the Continuation War. The current station building was built in Soviet times....
(formerly Viipuri/Viborg/Wiborg) and Zelenogorsk
Zelenogorsk, Saint Petersburg
Zelenogorsk , ' before 1948, is a municipal town in Kurortny District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, located in part of the Karelian Isthmus on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, and a station on the St. Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is located about northwest of central Saint...
(formerly Terijoki). Until 1917, when Finland became an independent state, the road had been operated by the Finnish State Railways for all its length, including that section. Due to construction of the southern sections of the railroad, the western part of the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
on both sides of the Russian-Finnish border became a popular dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
resort place among wealthy St. Petersburgers in the late nineteenth century.
After the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
(1939–1940) and Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
(1941–1944), concluded with the Moscow Peace Treaty, Moscow Armistice
Moscow Armistice
The Moscow Armistice was signed between Finland on one side and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on September 19, 1944, ending the Continuation War...
and Paris Peace Treaty, the Karelian Isthmus
Karelian Isthmus
The Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
with the eastern part of the railroad (from Louko (Pogranitshnoye) to Rajajoki (western part of Sestroretsk
Sestroretsk
Sestroretsk is a municipal town in Kurortny District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, the Sestra River and the Sestroretskiy Lake northwest of St. Petersburg...
)) was ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The railway stations Louko (Pogranitshnoye) and Rajajoki were abandoned by Russians.
It wasn't until 1913 when the line became connected to the Russian railways
Russian Railways
The Russian Railways , is the government owned national rail carrier of the Russian Federation, headquartered in Moscow. The Russian Railways operate over of common carrier routes as well as a few hundred kilometers of industrial routes, making it the second largest network in the world exceeded...
as the Finland Railway Bridge
Finland Railway Bridge
The Finland Railway Bridge are a pair of parallel bridges across the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The bridges link the railway networks in the north of St Petersburg with those in the south of St Petersburg...
across the River Neva in Saint Petersburg was opened.
In 2006, the high speed railway from Lahti
Lahti
Lahti is a city and municipality in Finland.Lahti is the capital of the Päijänne Tavastia region. It is situated on a bay at the southern end of lake Vesijärvi about north-east of the capital Helsinki...
to Kervo was opened, and that cut half an hour off the travel time from Helsinki. In 2010, the speed was raised to 200 km/h most of distance Lahti-St Petersburg. The freight traffic was moved to another upgraded railway, Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad
Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad
The Saint Petersburg-Hiitola Railway is a 170-kilometre long railway with broad gauge located in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast and Republic of Karelia, which links Finlyandsky Rail Terminal to Hiitola through Devyatkino, Vaskelovo, Sosnovo, Priozersk and Kuznechnoye...
. This and the introduction of high speed trains of type Sm6 cut the travel time by two hours to about 3:30. The railway upgrade cost in Finland was €244M, with an EU contribution of €23M.
At present
The international trains Sibelius (Finnish VR GroupVR 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...
, Helsinki–St. Petersburg) , Repin (Russian Railways
Russian Railways
The Russian Railways , is the government owned national rail carrier of the Russian Federation, headquartered in Moscow. The Russian Railways operate over of common carrier routes as well as a few hundred kilometers of industrial routes, making it the second largest network in the world exceeded...
, St. Petersburg–Helsinki) and Tolstoy (Russian Railways, Moscow–St. Petersburg–Helsinki) run daily on this route between Hakosilta and Finlyandsky Rail Terminal. The Russian part of the railroad is used by suburban trains (elektrichka
Elektrichka
Elektrichka is an informal word for elektropoyezd , a Soviet or post-Soviet regional electrical multiple unit passenger train. Elektrichkas are widespread in Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union....
s) of the Finlyandsky Rail Terminal with their final destinations at Zelenogorsk
Zelenogorsk, Saint Petersburg
Zelenogorsk , ' before 1948, is a municipal town in Kurortny District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, located in part of the Karelian Isthmus on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, and a station on the St. Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is located about northwest of central Saint...
, Roshchino
Roshchino
Roshchino , before 1948–Raivola, is an urban locality in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, and a station on the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is situated on the Karelian Isthmus northwest of St. Petersburg, approximately half-way to Vyborg...
, Kanneljärvi, Kirillovskoye
Kirillovskoye
Kirillovskoye is a settlement on Karelian Isthmus, in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, near the European route E18, and an important station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad, being the final destination of many electric passenger trains arriving from Finlyandsky Rail Terminal...
, Gavrilovo (Kämärä) or Vyborg
Vyborg railway station
Vyborg railway station is a railway station located in the town of Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia.The original station building was built in 1913 but was destroyed in the Continuation War. The current station building was built in Soviet times....
, as well as elektrichkas Vyborg–Buslovskaya (Houni).
The railroad is connected to the Vyborg–Joensuu railroad
Vyborg–Joensuu railroad
The old Karelian railroad between Viipuri and Joensuu is a railway with broad gauge, which used to link Joensuu, Sortavala, Hiitola, Antrea and Viipuri...
at Vyborg, to a number of tracks, including the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad
Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad
The Saint Petersburg-Hiitola Railway is a 170-kilometre long railway with broad gauge located in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast and Republic of Karelia, which links Finlyandsky Rail Terminal to Hiitola through Devyatkino, Vaskelovo, Sosnovo, Priozersk and Kuznechnoye...
, at the Finlyandsky Rail Terminal of St. Petersburg, and also has links to Kerava from Hakosilta, to Vesijärvi, Loviisa and Heinola from Lahti, to Säkäniemi, Kotka and Mikkeli from Kouvola, to Primorsk
Primorsk, Leningrad Oblast
Primorsk is a coastal town in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, and the largest Russian port on the Baltic. It is located on the Karelian Isthmus, west of St. Petersburg, at the northern coast of the Gulf of Finland, near Birch Islands, protected as a sea bird sanctuary...
(Koivisto) from Lazarevka (Liimatta) and Zelenogorsk (Terijoki), to Veshchevo
Veshchevo
Veshchevo is a rural locality on Karelian Isthmus, in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, and a station of the Vyborg–Zhitkovo railroad. The railway track between Veshchevo and Zhitkovo was, however, dismantled in 2001. Until the Winter War and Continuation War, it had been the...
(Heinjoki) (and earlier as far as to Zhitkovo
Zhitkovo
Zhitkovo is a settlement on Karelian Isthmus, in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast. It was a station of the Vyborg–Veshchevo–Zhitkovo–Michurinskoye railroad constructed by Finland in the 1920s. However, the Zhitkovo-Michurinskoye link has been dismantled in the 1950s, and the...
(Ristseppälä) and Michurniskoye
Michurinskoye, Leningrad Oblast
Michurinskoye is a settlement on Karelian Isthmus, in Priozersky District of Leningrad Oblast. Before the Winter War and Continuation War it was the administrative center of the Valkjärvi municipality of Finland....
(Valkjärvi) from Lazarevka and with Sestroretsk from Beloostrov and Lanskaya. Besides, the line has also a number of short blind branches.
As the Russian part of the tracks is planned to be renovated to handle high-speed
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
international trains (see Karelian Trains
Karelian Trains
Oy Karelian Trains Ltd is a joint venture agreed on 23 November 2006 between Russian Railways and VR Group to facilitate the operation of international express passenger rail services between Helsinki, Finland and Saint Petersburg, Russia. Karelian Trains is registered in Helsinki, VR and RZhD...
) and to be used exclusively for passenger traffic, the cargo traffic (mostly lumber, granite rubble, oil) is expected to be switched to the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad
Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroad
The Saint Petersburg-Hiitola Railway is a 170-kilometre long railway with broad gauge located in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast and Republic of Karelia, which links Finlyandsky Rail Terminal to Hiitola through Devyatkino, Vaskelovo, Sosnovo, Priozersk and Kuznechnoye...
.
Stations and branches
International train stops are bolded. Former names (most of the stations ceded to the Soviet Union were renamed in 1948), distance (from Riihimäki for the Finnish part and from St. Petersburg for the Russian part) and suburban tariff zones (for the Russian part) are given in brackets.Finland
- Riihimäki railway stationRiihimäki railway stationRiihimäki railway station is located in the town of Riihimäki, Finland.-History:The Riihimäki railway station is one of the original stations on the main railway track from Helsinki to Hämeenlinna, opened in 1862. The town was originally built because of the railway. In 1870, a track to Saint...
(0 km, links to Helsinki and Hämeenlinna) - Kokemäki railway station (8 km)
- Hikiä railway station (8 km)
- Hausjärvi railway station (15 km)
- Oitti railway stationOitti railway stationOitti railway station is a train station in the village of Oitti in the municipality of Hausjärvi, Finland. The station is located along the Riihimäki–Lahti line, approximately 15 km away from Riihimäki railway station and approximately 44 km from Lahti railway station.- Notes :...
(15 km) - Mommila railway station (20 km)
- Jutila railway station (23 km)
- Lappila railway station (26 km)
- Järvelä railway station (32 km)
- Herrala railway station (44 km)
- Tommola railway station (46 km)
- Hakosilta railway station (48 km, link to Kerava)
- Lahti railway stationLahti railway stationThe Lahti railway station is located in the city of Lahti in Finland.The station was designed by architect Thure Hellström from the VR Group and built in 1935. Because of the depression in the 1930s, the station did not get a third floor, neither did it get a tower, as the Tampere railway station...
(63 km, links to Vesijärvi, Loviisa and Heinola) - Kolava railway station (68 km)
- Nastola railway stationNastola railway stationThe Nastola railway station is located in the municipality of Nastola in the Päijänne Tavastia region, in Finland. The distance from the Lahti railway station is 15.7 kilometres and that from the Kausala railway station is 23.6 kilometres...
(79 km) - Uusikylä railway station (82 km)
- Mankala railway station (93 km)
- Kausala railway station (99 km)
- Nappa railway station (115 km)
- Koria railway station (115 km)
- Kouvola railway stationKouvola railway stationThe Kouvola railway station is located in the city of Kouvola in Finland.The Kouvola railway station is an important crossing point station. It is located about from the Helsinki Central railway station. There is also a bus terminal by the station and together they form a travel centre.Kouvola is...
(121 km, links to Säkäniemi, Kotka and Mikkeli) - Utti railway station (123 km)
- Kaipiainen railway station (133 km)
- Taavetti railway station (156 km)
- Pulsa railway station (178 km)
- Simola railway station (188 km)
- Vainikkala railway station
Leningrad Oblast (Finland before WWII)
- Louko (Pogranitshnoye), doesn't exist now))
- Buslovskaya (Houni)
- Luzhayka (Nurmi, zone 15)
- 144th km
- Kravtsovo (Hovinmaa, zone 14)
- 138th km
- PrigorodnayaSeleznyovoSeleznyovo is a settlement on Karelian Isthmus, near Vyborg, in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, served by the Prigorodnaya station of the Riihimäki-Saint Petersburg railroad....
(Tienhaara, zone 14) - Khiyetala (Hietala, doesn't exist now)
- 134th km
- Vyborg railway stationVyborg railway stationVyborg railway station is a railway station located in the town of Vyborg, Leningrad Oblast, Russia.The original station building was built in 1913 but was destroyed in the Continuation War. The current station building was built in Soviet times....
(Viipuri, zone 13, connected to the Vyborg–Joensuu railroadVyborg–Joensuu railroadThe old Karelian railroad between Viipuri and Joensuu is a railway with broad gauge, which used to link Joensuu, Sortavala, Hiitola, Antrea and Viipuri...
) - Lazarevka (Liimatta, zone 13, links to Primorsk and Veshchevo)
- Verkhne-Cherkasovo (Säiniö, zone 13)
- 117th km (zone 12)
- Lebedevka (Honkaniemi, zone 12)
- Gavrilovo (Kämärä, zone 12)
- LeypyasuoLeypyasuoLeypyasuo is a settlement on the Karelian Isthmus, in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, and a station of the Saint Petersburg–Vyborg railroad.-History:...
(Leipäsuo, earlier Äyräpää (1918-1920) and Galitzina (before 1917), zone 11) - KirillovskoyeKirillovskoyeKirillovskoye is a settlement on Karelian Isthmus, in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, near the European route E18, and an important station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad, being the final destination of many electric passenger trains arriving from Finlyandsky Rail Terminal...
(Perkjärvi, zone 10) - Zakhodskoye (Lounatjoki, zone 9)
- Pobeda, Leningrad OblastPobeda-Geographic locations:In Kyrgyzstan:*Peak Pobeda, or Pik Pobedy, a mountain in the Tian Shan mountain rangeIn Russia:*Peak Pobeda, Sakha , the highest peak in the Sakha Republic, Russia; part of the Chersky Range...
(Kanneljärvi, zone 9) - Shevelyovo (zone 9)
- Gorkovskoye (Mustamäki, zone 8)
- 63rd km (zone 7)
- RoshchinoRoshchinoRoshchino , before 1948–Raivola, is an urban locality in Vyborgsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, and a station on the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is situated on the Karelian Isthmus northwest of St. Petersburg, approximately half-way to Vyborg...
(Raivola, zone 7)
Saint Petersburg (Finland before WWII)
- Ushkovo (Tyrisevä, zone 7)
- ZelenogorskZelenogorsk, Saint PetersburgZelenogorsk , ' before 1948, is a municipal town in Kurortny District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, located in part of the Karelian Isthmus on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, and a station on the St. Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is located about northwest of central Saint...
(Terijoki, zone 6, link to Primorsk) - KomarovoKomarovo, Saint PetersburgKomarovo is a municipal settlement in Kurortny District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, located on the Karelian Isthmus on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, and a station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It is located about northwest of central Saint Petersburg...
(Kellomäki, zone 5) - RepinoRepinoRepino is a municipal settlement in Kurortny District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, and a station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. It was known by its Finnish name Kuokkala until 1948, when it was renamed after its most famous inhabitant, Ilya Repin...
(Kuokkala, zone 5) - Solnechnoye (Ollila, zone 5)
Saint Petersburg
- BeloostrovBeloostrovBeloostrov , from 1922 to World War II—Krasnoostrov , is a municipal settlement in Kurortny District of the federal city of Saint Petersburg, Russia, located on the Sestra River, Karelian Isthmus, and a key station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad since 1870 at the junction of Saint...
(zone 4, link to Sestroretsk) - Dibuny (zone 3)
- Pesochnaya (formerly Grafskaya, zone 3)
- LevashovoLevashovoLevashovo is a municipal settlement under the administrative jurisdiction of Vyborgsky District of Saint Petersburg, Russia, and a station of the Saint Petersburg-Vyborg railroad. The building of the station was designed by Bruno Granholm. Population:...
(zone 3) - Pargolovo (zone 3, link to the Murino station of the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroadSaint Petersburg–Hiitola railroadThe Saint Petersburg-Hiitola Railway is a 170-kilometre long railway with broad gauge located in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast and Republic of Karelia, which links Finlyandsky Rail Terminal to Hiitola through Devyatkino, Vaskelovo, Sosnovo, Priozersk and Kuznechnoye...
) - Shuvalovo (zone 2)
- Ozerki (zone 2)
- Udelnaya (zone 2)
- LanskayaLanskayaLanskaya platform is a railway station located in St. Petersburg, Russia.Lanskaya is commuter passenger station, its platforms are located on a high embankment....
(zone 1, link to Sestroretsk) - Saint Petersburg – Finlyandsky Rail Terminal (zone 0, connection to the Saint Petersburg–Hiitola railroadSaint Petersburg–Hiitola railroadThe Saint Petersburg-Hiitola Railway is a 170-kilometre long railway with broad gauge located in Saint Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast and Republic of Karelia, which links Finlyandsky Rail Terminal to Hiitola through Devyatkino, Vaskelovo, Sosnovo, Priozersk and Kuznechnoye...
and other railroads in Russia)
Electrification
- Finlyandsky Rail Terminal–Zelenogorsk – 1951
- Zelenogorsk–Ushkovo – 1952
- Ushkovo–Roshchino – 1954
- Roshchino–Kirillovskoye – 1968
- Kirillovskoye–Vyborg – 1969
- Vyborg–Luzhayka – 1977
- International connection – 1978
External links
- 130 лет. Поездом от Хельсинки до Санкт-Петербурга
- История. 1870–1918 годы
- Железные дороги Карельского перешейка
- Pietarin rata toi Lahdelle menestyksen eväät – Etelä-Suomen SanomatEtelä-Suomen SanomatEtelä-Suomen Sanomat is a daily Finnish newspaper published in Lahti, Finland and the leading paper in its metropolian area. As of 2009, its daily circulation was 60,420. It began publishing in 1914. The paper originated from the prior Lahden Lehti and Lahden Sanomat newspapers...