VR Class Sm4
Encyclopedia
The Sm4 electric multiple unit
(EMU) is a low-floor train used by the VR Group
in Helsinki commuter rail
services. The initial order was for ten EMUs with the first unit entering service in 1999. Another 20 units were ordered in 2002 and the deliveries were completed in 2005. The Spanish company CAF
was contracted to manufacture the units.
. The unit is capable of regenerative braking and can thereby save up to 30 % of the electrical energy that would otherwise be consumed. The maximum speed is 160 km/h. The unit offers a good level of passenger comfort with a quiet and smooth ride quality. The Sm4 passenger compartments are fitted with air conditioning
, CCTV cameras and display screens that can be used to show e.g. route information. The units have partly low floors with all of the entrances at platform level, and they are equipped with toilets accessible to the disabled. There are racks for bicycles in the entrance vestibules nearest to the driver's cabins.
and Sm2
units on commuter services from Helsinki
to Riihimäki
and Lahti
. The units are also used in commuter traffic on the Tampere
- Riihimäki and Riihimäki - Kouvola
routes. However, the Sm4s are also being used for the shorter, frequently-stopping services because of the lack of more suitable low floor trains. The new Sm5
low floor trains that started to enter commercial service in November 2009 will free the Sm4 units from the short routes.
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
(EMU) is a low-floor train used by the 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...
in Helsinki commuter rail
Helsinki commuter rail
Helsinki commuter rail is the commuter rail system serving Greater Helsinki, Finland. The network is operated by VR, the Finnish national railway company. Together with the Helsinki Metro and trams, the network forms the heart of Helsinki's public transportation infrastructure.Trains run above...
services. The initial order was for ten EMUs with the first unit entering service in 1999. Another 20 units were ordered in 2002 and the deliveries were completed in 2005. The Spanish company CAF
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles is a rail equipment manufacturer based in Beasain in the Basque Country, Spain. Equipment manufactured by CAF includes light rail vehicles, rapid transit trains, railroad cars and locomotives, as well as variable gauge axles that can be fitted on any...
was contracted to manufacture the units.
Features
The Sm4 EMU consists of two powered cars, each equipped with a pantographPantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
. The unit is capable of regenerative braking and can thereby save up to 30 % of the electrical energy that would otherwise be consumed. The maximum speed is 160 km/h. The unit offers a good level of passenger comfort with a quiet and smooth ride quality. The Sm4 passenger compartments are fitted with air conditioning
Air conditioning
An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...
, CCTV cameras and display screens that can be used to show e.g. route information. The units have partly low floors with all of the entrances at platform level, and they are equipped with toilets accessible to the disabled. There are racks for bicycles in the entrance vestibules nearest to the driver's cabins.
Routes
The Sm4 is designed for longer-distance trips than typical metro-like local services. The Sm4 units have largely replaced the older Sm1VR Class Sm1
The electric multiple unit Sm1 is the oldest type of commuter train equipment still in active use by the VR Group . Fifty Sm1 units were built between years 1968 and 1973 at Valmet airplane factory in Tampere. It was put into use on the first electrified Finnish railway line between Helsinki and...
and Sm2
VR Class Sm2
The Sm2 is a class of electric multiple units in use by the VR Group in commuter traffic in the Helsinki area. 50 Sm2 units were built between 1975 and 1981 by Valmet airplane factory in Tampere. The electric systems were built by Strömberg in Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki. The Sm2 units have undergone a...
units on commuter services from Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
to Riihimäki
Riihimäki
Riihimäki is a town and municipality in the south of Finland, about north of Helsinki and southeast of Tampere. It is somewhat of a railway junction, since the railway tracks going from different parts of the nation to Helsinki merge there. Sako, Ltd...
and 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...
. The units are also used in commuter traffic on the Tampere
Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
- Riihimäki and Riihimäki - Kouvola
Kouvola
Kouvola is a town and municipality in southeastern Finland. It is located northeast of the capital, Helsinki.The city has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is ....
routes. However, the Sm4s are also being used for the shorter, frequently-stopping services because of the lack of more suitable low floor trains. The new Sm5
JKOY Class Sm5
The Sm5 electric multiple unit is a low-floor train used on the Helsinki commuter rail network. Unlike other train types on the network, the Sm5 units are owned by Pääkaupunkiseudun Junakalusto Oy, a subsidiary of the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen and the VR Group...
low floor trains that started to enter commercial service in November 2009 will free the Sm4 units from the short routes.