Less than five hours by train from Helsinki to Oulu in 2017

Level crossings to be eliminated between Oulu and Ylivieska

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The travel time by train from Helsinki to Oulu will be cut to less than five hours once the railway upgrade in Ostrobothnia is completed in 2017. At present, the fastest trains make the journey in five hours and 51 minutes.
      The Pendolino and other express trains are currently slowed down by level crossings on the segment of track between Oulu and Ylivieska.
      "About 20 million euros to eliminate the crossings were plunked down at the last minute, at a time when costs were being cut in other parts of the project", says Tommi Rosenvall, head of the project at the Finnish Transport Agency.
     
The upgrade of the Seinäjoki-Oulu line, with a price tag of more than EUR 800 million, was started in 2007. At present the heaviest work is taking place south of Oulu between Tuomioja and Liminka, where level crossings are being eliminated.
      Under a previous plan, the level crossings would have been kept for the time being in the Oulu-Ylivieska sector, which would have meant that the speed limit on that section of track would have been 140 kilometres an hour. In such a case even the fastest train would have made the journey from Helsinki to Oulu in five hours and 15 minutes.
      Once the crossings are eliminated, the Pendolino trains will be able to travel the whole distance at speeds of 200 kilometres an hour.
     
"We will finalise the fast schedule in 2017, but the fastest train will certainly travel to Oulu in less than five hours", says VR passenger service director Ari Vanhanen.
      Travel time is an important factor as VR tries to compete with air services on its long-distance routes.
      Because of the construction work, no trains currently travel the full distance from Helsinki to Oulu From Monday through Thursdays. Trains from Helsinki stop in Ylivieska, and passengers are taken to Oulu by bus. The situation is set to continue through November 8^th.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Norwegian to bring price competition on flights between Helsinki and Oulu (11.3.2011)

Helsingin Sanomat