Allegro trains to be used on Finnish domestic services

[Gag Halfrunt]

Allegro trains to be deployed in VR's domestic long-distance traffic from 2025

The trains known as Allegro, or Sm6 units, have been owned by a joint venture between VR and Russian Railways. The Russian owner has repeatedly neglected its financial obligations towards the joint...

www.vrgroup.fi

The trains known as Allegro, or Sm6 units, have been owned by a joint venture between VR and Russian Railways. The Russian owner has repeatedly neglected its financial obligations towards the joint venture. VR has redeemed the joint venture's loans and through the right of pledge taken possession of the trains today, December 14th. The trains are expected to be put into service in domestic long-distance traffic in Finland around the year 2025.

The Allegro service between Helsinki and St Petersburg was launched in December 2010. It was discontinued in March 2022 because of EU sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. There are four Sm6 Pendolino units.

 

[CarrotPie]

I wonder how much fixing up they'll need after the best part of two years sat rotting in Ilmala. Considering how the Sm3s have fared in service, probably quite a lot! I wonder if they'll do anything to change the wheel sets from the non-standard 1522mm to the Finnish standard 1524mm.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Finally! Taken a while to get here, but the extra capacity is needed - some of the Oulu-Helsinki services sell out fast. I'm wondering what they're like inside after all this time - Finland's climate isn't that nice to things left abandoned and unused - I'm assuming that these trains have been occasionally powered up, air conditioning on, even if not moved just to keep them in some good state?

Never rode on one - did Siblelius and Repin a few times back and forth St.Petersburg.

 

[CarrotPie]

Taken a while to get here, but the extra capacity is needed - some of the Oulu-Helsinki services sell out fast.

There are two simple ways to improve capacity on Oulu services:

• Use the Allegros to run extra services, but line capacity is limited on Päärata up to Seinäjoki
• Slap more Ed coaches onto the current rakes to make them up to the (practical) max of 8 coaches/service - but this then has a detrimental impact on acceleration, etc. unless you double-head, which won't happen.

 

[jamesontheroad]

In the past, VR have very deliberately scrapped surplus carriages rather than sell them to make it more difficult for new entrants to the Finnish railway. They might not have wanted to acquire these trains, but perhaps it was more appealing than risk letting them be sold off to a potential domestic competitor.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

There was speculation that they might be donated to Ukraine, but that might just be because they are 1520mm 1524mm 1522mm gauge.

 

[rf_ioliver]

In the past, VR have very deliberately scrapped surplus carriages rather than sell them to make it more difficult for new entrants to the Finnish railway. They might not have wanted to acquire these trains, but perhaps it was more appealing than risk letting them be sold off to a potential domestic competitor.

At least some of the Sm2 have gone to private operators .. who are yet to start (Turku-Uusikaupunki in 2024??). The blue carriages are gone unfortunately (they were nice)

 

[CarrotPie]

In the past, VR have very deliberately scrapped surplus carriages rather than sell them to make it more difficult for new entrants to the Finnish railway. They might not have wanted to acquire these trains, but perhaps it was more appealing than risk letting them be sold off to a potential domestic competitor.

They consistently have problems with Sm3s availability, especially during winter, where coupling them is essentially a lucky dip. These will help unit availability, so long as diagrams aren't increased by more than one or two.

At least some of the Sm2 have gone to private operators .. who are yet to start (Turku-Uusikaupunki in 2024??).

11 sets were sold to Suomen Lähjunat Oy last year. Service is supposed to start in 2025/6, subject to regulatory changes allowing cities to buy train traffic from them.

The blue carriages are gone unfortunately (they were nice)

CEmt carriages are still used on PYO trains, and museum operators around the country (mainly Sinisen vaunut ystävät and Haapamäen museoveturiyhdystys) have dozens of old carriage. For old carriages in regular use, the Eil(f) carriages (from the 90s, heavily refurbished) are still used every weekday on HLV 232/233.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Reuters: Russian Railways calls Finland's train seizure unlawful

MOSCOW, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Russian Railways on Friday said Finland's state-owned railway company VR had acted unlawfully in seizing four trains co-owned through a joint venture.

"The transfer of trains ... was not agreed," Russian Railways said in a statement.

VR said on Thursday it had seized the Allegro trains that used to travel between the two countries after more than 18 months of negotiations without any result.

Passenger trains between Finland and Russia were suspended in March 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

VR said the Russian government had neglected its financial obligations towards the Karelian Trains joint venture and redeemed Karelian Trains' loans to Finnish banks when the venture faced bankruptcy in June 2023, obtaining rights that allowed it to seize the trains.

"Repeated proposals from Russian Railways to resume operation of Allegro trains within the framework of existing agreements were not accepted by the Finnish side," Russian Railways said.

Russian Railways said VR's failure to accept its proposals had resulted in lost income and an inability to fulfil obligations.

"Thus, the unlawful actions of VR and the Finnish management of Karelian Trains led to the insolvency of the latter," Russian Railways said.

The Allegro trains, tilting high-speed trains also known as Sm6, each consist of seven carriages, according to VR.

The trains are expected to be put into service in domestic long-distance travel in Finland from 2025.

 

[rf_ioliver]

They consistently have problems with Sm3s availability, especially during winter, where coupling them is essentially a lucky dip. These will help unit availability, so long as diagrams aren't increased by more than one or two.

11 sets were sold to Suomen Lähjunat Oy last year. Service is supposed to start in 2025/6, subject to regulatory changes allowing cities to buy train traffic from them.

CEmt carriages are still used on PYO trains, and museum operators around the country (mainly Sinisen vaunut ystävät and Haapamäen museoveturiyhdystys) have dozens of old carriage. For old carriages in regular use, the Eil(f) carriages (from the 90s, heavily refurbished) are still used every weekday on HLV 232/233.

Interesting, I can't see the train composition in Julia for HLV232 - too early in the morning to go an see in person. But, yes, some blue carriages have gone to museum operators and some are still on the sleeper services until the new stock arrives.

Lähijunat have bold plans, the latest I see is resuming the Salo-Turku local trains, but mention of the Uusikaupunki services has gone quiet. Opening of passenger rail traffic to private operations was 2024, if we see new services by a private company before 2030 I'll happily wager a good bottle of beer on that

 

[CarrotPie]

Interesting, I can't see the train composition in Julia for HLV232 - too early in the morning to go an see in person. But, yes, some blue carriages have gone to museum operators and some are still on the sleeper services until the new stock arrives.

It's a loco with 5 or 6 Eil and 1 Eilf.
Here's Friday's working on Julia

Lähijunat have bold plans, the latest I see is resuming the Salo-Turku local trains, but mention of the Uusikaupunki services has gone quiet.

I think it's to do with the fact that the Salo line already has well-used liikennepaikat, where stations would be easy to plonk, as opposed to the Uuiskaupunki line, where a lot of work would be needed even to extend ICs, let alone have a new stopping service.

 

[rf_ioliver]

It's a loco with 5 or 6 Eil and 1 Eilf.
Here's Friday's working on Julia

I think it's to do with the fact that the Salo line already has well-used liikennepaikat, where stations would be easy to plonk, as opposed to the Uuiskaupunki line, where a lot of work would be needed even to extend ICs, let alone have a new stopping service.

Uusikaupunki was the original target...easy to schedule trains - only 4 freight workings scheduled to get around - recently electrified and a long running campaign for a restoration in passenger services.

Between Saloa and Turku there's only really Paimio and Piikkiö where trains can pass and these are more for resilience rather than additional services (as Ervelä was reinstated early 2000s to potentially reduce maximum delays from 30 to 15 minutes if an opposite direction train was delayed). Double tracking from Kupittaa and Turku isn't going to give the necessary capacity. I discussed this at Rata2023 - the consensus being was that ELSA-rata would magically solve everything....(this would also cause the loss of Salo-Karjaa traffic, but no-one wanted to admit that)