Finnish Main Line

The Finnish Main Line (Finnish: Päärata; Swedish: Stambanan) is a 810-kilometre (500 mi) long electrified group of railway lines in Finland between the cities of Helsinki and Oulu. The first segment, a 108-kilometre (67 mi) line from Helsinki to Hämeenlinna, was opened on March 17, 1862.^[1][2]

Finnish Main Line
The Main Line in Oulunkylä, Helsinki
Overview
Native name	Finnish: Päärata; Swedish: Stambanan
Owner	Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
Termini	Helsinki Oulu
Service
Route number	3, 7
History
Opened	17 March 1862; 163 years ago (1862-03-17)[a]
Technical
Line length	810 km (500 mi)
Number of tracks	4 (Helsinki–Kytömaa, Ainola–Purola) 2 (Kytömaa–Ainola, Purola–Lielahti, Pohjois-Louko–Lapua, Kokkola–Ylivieska) 1 (Lielahti–Pohjois-Louko, Lapua–Kokkola)
Route map Legend Helsinki Pasila Tikkurila to Lahti Riihimäki to Lahti Hämeenlinna to Turku Harbour Toijala Lempäälä to Haapamäki and Jyväskylä Tampere to Pori Parkano Seinäjoki to Vaasa Lapua Kauhava Härmä (summer only) Pännäinen Kokkola Kannus Ylivieska to Iisalmi Oulainen Vihanti Ruukki Kempele to Kajaani Oulu Kemi Tervola Tornio-Itäinen Muurola to Sweden Rovaniemi Ylitornio Misi Pello Kemijärvi Kolari This diagram: view talk edit

The railway serves Helsinki, Riihimäki, Hämeenlinna, Tampere, Parkano, Seinäjoki, Kokkola, Ylivieska and Oulu. The future Suomirata project aims to improve the current Riihimäki–Tampere section by either building additional tracks alongside the existing main line or an entirely new straight line.^[3] The goal is to reduce the travel time from Tampere to Helsinki from the current 1 hour 33 minutes to about an hour.^[3]

See also

• Helsinki–Riihimäki railway
• Riihimäki–Tampere railway
• Rail transport in Finland

Notes

1. At the time between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna.