Why Finland has the BEST long-distance trains in Europe! Trip from Helsinki to Tampere with VR

Follow me on Twitter / intercitysimon
Today im taking you on a journey on the Finnish railway from Helsinki to Tampere on what are my favorite long distance trains in europe, if not the entire world. Come along as we check out the many excellent features onboard these truely magnificent trains.
Train type: VR Sr2 + transtech double-deck IC coaches
Route: Helsinki to Tampere
Train: IC 43 Helsinki to Vaasa
Distance: 188 km
Journey time: 1h34m
Average speed: 120 km/h
Price: 18 euro
Music:
Alexi Action - Synthwave 80's

[@uncinarynin]

Finland benefits from a huge loading gauge allowing really spacious double deck coaches in inland trains.

[@Simon-Andersen]

And they really use it to their advantage

[@amadeuz8161]

I still miss the old ones that we had back in the 90's. I always fell asleep to that noise they had.

[@KujezZi]

@@amadeuz8161 if you mean the clunking sound, its gone due to welding of the tracks together allowing for higher speeds.

[@amadeuz8161]

@@KujezZi if you never went in em then you cant imagine, if you did then you know what I am talking about :D Many things are different and Pendolino change is the worst one of em all.

[@herrakaarme]

@@KujezZi The old blue cars had plenty of noise. Much was generated by the detachable trays, which were stored in hard pockets on the back of the seats. Every time any kind of vibration went through the car, the myriad trays, with their plastic and metal parts, would rattle in their pockets. But back then, nobody expected trains to be quiet. On the other hand, the seats were thick and soft enough for you to sink 10cm into the cushion. I don't miss them on the main routes, as they had a top speed of 120kph, or something, but I do miss them on the side routes, where they were replaced with the railway busses, or whatever you'd call them in English. Those things felt cheap when they were brand new, and now a couple of decades later they have too many wheels in the grave already and are miserable.

[@ChrisCStewart]

Just got back to Melbourne from my frist visit to Finland... amazed by the quality of the inter-city trains. Best I've encountered in the world... EU, US, AU SEA...

[@jannejohansson3383]

When you need something, buy good one.

[@tdb7992]

What an amazing train. I've never seen a children's play area on a train before.

[@chaosbuilder1531]

As a finn it's really interesting to see videos about Finland. Just seeing familiar places on youtube feels nice

[@henry3092]

Plus, kaksi, kolme, kolme, nolla, kaksi, neljä, yhdeksän, kolmekymmentä, kolmekymmentäyksi, seitsemän, seitsemän

[@Apoc2K]

The workplaces in the IC are so nice, I was legit surprised at how spacious everything was. I'm pretty happy with VR in general. The only thing that's a little sad is that a lot of the old wooden railway houses in the countryside are no longer in use.

[@zoolkhan]

yes i agree, the loss of the wooden railway stations is sad. But i love VR much better train-experience than i.e. in germany

[@gavinseipelt6091]

Everyone talks about Switzerland and Japan as being the great rail countries, but Finland is legitimately excellent, and very affordable. I did the once per day service that stops at Härmä for Powerpark. Despite being an isolated station it still had an electronic departure board, and a bus meets every train.

[@fredfrond6148]

Helsinki to Tampere 181 km. That’s a 1 hour trip on the Chinese g and d class rail lines? Who is THE great rail country?

[@EiriUesugiKun]

@@fredfrond6148 Nagoya to Kyoto is 150 km and 37 minutes.

[@fredfrond6148]

@@Ristonehajotettukone oh soo clever. Mr. Great white man.🙄

[@fredfrond6148]

@@Ristonehajotettukone examples of Chinese rail lines. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKGUYaudrKqHrMk. Are you gonna say racist things about black people too now?

[@fredfrond6148]

@@Ristonehajotettukone most modern city in the world. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q52Yo6SHfMZ_h5Y

[@Alexandros.Mograine]

As a kid i used to not understand why Americans always joked and complained about public transport. living in Finland as a kid i quess my world view was quite limited, i mean i started to take the public bus to school at age 12 and many start alot younger if the school is like over 5km away. Many Finns take our country for granted because they are so used to it.

[@JohnDaubSuperfan369]

We as Finns *should* take all these things for granted, they're simply the result of societal common sense. It is goddamn laughable how most other "first world" countries are run, I'm currently based in Dublin and it's like living in the stone age in comparison. It's not like we're performing magic in Finland either, every functioning country could and should offer the same amenities.

[@herrakaarme]

@@JohnDaubSuperfan369 That sounds so strange, considering Dublin, when Ireland is twice as rich as Finland, despite having roughly the same population, and has less public debt. The Irish government spending, as expected, is much higher than in Finland. Even if the place makes you feel like it's lacking development, compared to Finland, logic dictates that some others things, that aren't relevant to you, are in a much better shape than in Finland. It's not like all that money would simply disappear somewhere, like in Russia.

[@Songfugel]

@@herrakaarme Ireland's "wealth" is mostly an illusion and quite recent, has almost 0 impact on the real wealth of the people, government and the quality of the infrastructure. Remember that in just 2008 Ireland went bankrupt. Making improvements in infrastructure and QoL for the people are extremely long term projects that often take decades On the flipside, Finland's true wealth is mostly obfuscated on how differently it works compared to the other nations being compared. There are several other more specific economic research and indicators that reveal the true standing of these true countries, and Finland is way ahead of Ireland in most of them

[@JohnDaubSuperfan369]

@@herrakaarme You're more than welcome to come and investigate for yourself 😂 Any country with essentially a two party political system and extensive connections to organised religion is extremely prone to corruption, Ireland is no exception in that regard. You are aware of the fact that Ireland is the biggest tax haven in the world? The inflated GDP does not equal quality of life. Money disappears in a slightly more elaborate and less blatant way than in Russia, but it still disappears. From my bedroom window I can see a brand new development of multi-million € apartments (most of which are bought by foreign investors) with a dilapidated romani-encampment of caravans and actual horses right next to it, and an even more dilapidated methadone clinic across the street from them. And the street they're on doesn't even have asphalt on it, in the capital city, in a supposedly "nice" neighborhood... There are a few more rows of multi-million houses around the bend, again interrupted by dilapidated council housing. Class-divide in this country is insane, things are almost as ridiculous as in the States. Downtown is even worse, absolutely riddled with abandoned buildings next to fresh Google offices and homeless people sleeping in their doorways, or begging in the middle of the street. You'd have a hard time stepping over them on your way out of the train station, if you ever actually managed to make your way down there. The public transport is so expensive, overcrowded and under-scheduled that you're better of avoiding the potholes in your own car, which basically has to be a brand new car since the taxation penalizes you very heavily for owning a slightly older. Wonder who lobbied for that particular scheme... People trade in their cars here like we used to trade in Nokias 20 years ago. Organised crime (the "illegal" kind) is also properly organised here, the Garda are always finding young tracksuit-laden lads scattered around Dublin in bin bags, a lot of them are 17-19 year olds from council estates. The taxi drivers ferry drugs for the Kinahans all over the city, which I've personally no problem with and I hope they get paid well for it, this is just the kinda stuff that Wikipedia doesn't volunteer for you and it helps to put the differences between Finland and Ireland in perspective, you can't read everything from numbers. Maybe I'm just hallucinating it all though, maybe it's just one of the benefits of having a steady supply of quality pot here.

[@herrakaarme]

@@JohnDaubSuperfan369 I'll have to take your word for it, since you are actually living there. Numbers don't indeed tell the whole story.

[@Tuukkohakee]

As someone who quite regulary travels between Helsinki and Turku, they really are great. The new 1+2 ekstra class is finally worth the quite modest extra price. The only complaint I have is regarding the chaos at Kupittaa, as the Turku main railway station is closed, and the kupitaa station is not suitable for such masses.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I can imagine the mess, Kupittaa used to be my nearest station back when i lived in Finland, even on a regular busy IC it would struggle with all the people trying to exit the station

[@fellu9658]

En tuu hakee

[@Tuukkohakee]

@@fellu9658 tulisit ny

[@fellu9658]

@@Tuukkohakee Tunnin juna Turkuun menee golfkentän läpi saatana!

[@alba8443]

Well, the main station in Turku isn’t closed. Trains to Tampere still depart from there. They are currently working on the tracks between the main station and Kupittaa.

[@ratyjoona]

Even though our trains are ok, our railway network is not consistent. People travelling from Eastern Finland to Western Finland and vice-versa face enormous amount of struggle. When travelling such a route, you have quite a few connections or just a very inconvenient route (Go South to get to West). Also the trains can be a lot worse and getting replaced by bus may be more common. And well, there are also less options timewise!

[@Simon-Andersen]

I totally agree with you! Finland got the rolling stock right. Outside the Helsinki commuter rail network and Helsinki - Tampere trains just aren't that frequent and lacks good connections to a lot of places.

[@MrSpritzmeister]

Yeah, you can thank dying towns in the east and the national defence considerations for the bad east west connections.

[@Minisynapse]

@@Simon-Andersen You might be aware already, but it's mainly because of national defense reasons. Finland's lack of highways and railways that move horizontally across the country is on purpose.

[@64ankka]

@@Minisynapse also lake Päijänne is a pretty big obstacle, railways have to go around the north end (Jyväskylä) or south end (Lahti)

[@onelyone6976]

Another reason might just simply be track quality. A lot of our tracks are old and in bad shape, not allowing high speeds and increasing service irregularities.

[@Myrkky100]

Just nitpicking here but the body of water you see when leaving Helsinki railway station is actually not a lake but part of the Baltic Sea, the Töölö bay.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Ah yes thats correct! Thanks for pointing it out :)

[@MaratD]

The children playground and family coupes are just mindblowing for me, who travelled with Swedish trains quite many times. We can just dream about such conditions.

[@zoolkhan]

stuff is financed with taxes, and benefits from people who behave decently towards the next man and society. I hear that sweden spends a lot of its taxes on social services for people who arent too fond of pulling their weight in society, and at the same time ignore established societal ways to preserve the common good. Lot of vandalism by people who have nothing better to do. Extremism, gang violence. And so on. A society that is that hostile to each other, and to the local customs and culture, for whatever reasons (different discussion) cannot have nice things. That is common sense.

[@MaratD]

@@zoolkhan How is Swedish system different from the Finnish?

[@markmbalagtas2230]

I love the art deco designs of train stations in the early 20th century. As usual, very good and informative video

[@m.a.6478]

Oh yeah, good old SLM Sr2 locomotives. I worked on the RE465, they're just marvellous. You can literally take them apart with only six different spanners.

[@MichaelDBahnverkehr]

Fantastic railway video from finland!!!👍👍🇫🇮

[@rfelix7486]

Amazing. I can’t wait to go back to Finland 🇫🇮. I’m going to Oulu to visit some friends by train from Helsinki too.

[@slavafeo8037]

Very interesting! Thank you! You shoot very well and skillfully! I wish you every success and growth of the channel!

[@TaylorMMontgomery]

You're doing a great job on your vids. Your English is great and i find your accent sort of relaxing. Keep up the good work!

[@HSTHoward]

Agreed. When travelling in Finland these are superb.

[@vicsams4431]

Thanks for another great video. I agree the VR double decker coaches offer one of the highest standards of rail travel I have experienced. I did most of southern and central Finland by rail, in just a few days. Sadly some routes closed. But when I was there, the line from Joensuu to Pieksamaki still had the older single decker blue coaches, with opening windows, so you could listen to the lovely sound and fast acceleration of their nice Dv12 diesel locos.

[@AndrewG1989]

Very nice trains I have to say. Awesome 🤩

[@OnkelJajusBahn]

These features are so impressive. Some of the features I haven't even thought about. I wish all train companies could copy a bit from Finnland here.

[@lacai527]

and here we are like VR what a joke, always late etc! but yeah Intercitys are great, did not even know it had upper class, dont know how hot days you have traveled, but the trains are always cool, reall good Ac also, and basic bench are confy.

[@konsta6493]

This was very entertaining and well made video, even though I don't usually watch this kind of videos 👍

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thanks for the kind words 😊

[@pakrailofficial1062]

Great to see ur video

[@Finntrans]

Great review of this shorter IC journey! I travel regularly from Turku to Helsinki and sometimes to Tampere, and yes, the IC's are truly great to be fair. Especially with the modernization of the Extra-class and the new bike and luggage space on some of the cars. It would be nice to know your thoughts on the mess that's undergoing in Kupittaa due to the trackwork to Turku central railway station. Tusen tak!

[@Simon-Andersen]

I haven't been to Turku during the works, but i can imagine trying to empty a full IC and get everyone up the tiny stairs there would be a mess. Hopefully that station can get a proper rebuild at some point, maybe whenever Turku gets a tram line ;)

[@Finntrans]

@Simon Andersen if you have followed some plans, VR is going to sell both Kupittaa and Turku central railway station, along with many other station buildings, which means we may no longer have in the worst case any waiting hall but the platforms. Also, the Logomo bridge is set to replace the central railway station building mostly due to the tracks being moved eastwards and for a possible new central station that combines also with the bus station. However, this plan has not made any progress.

[@Simon-Andersen]

@@Finntrans combining with the bus station in turku seems like a great idea but selling off the station buildings in Turku and Kupittaa not. Especially considering how cold it gets in winter time, there really ought to be a place to wait as trains aren't that frequent

[@pakrailofficial1062]

Amazing its so beautiful train

[@pakrailofficial1062]

Love from Pakistan railway

[@Nosferatu_Pilot]

I didnt know our trains were this good. I have been in them for over a decade.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Give them a try! If you book in advance you can go for cheap

[@Thomas1980]

Fantastic Video! I like it! 🙂👍 Thumbs Up and Best Greetings

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thanks :-)

[@NemesZoltan87]

Great video and summary! I'd like to add in two things: - It is recommended, to buy your tickets in advance, so you can get them much cheaper ;) - There are ofc. night trains, with sleeping cabins, and also there's a special train line, from Helsinki, up to Lappland, which has vagons for cars. Perfect for those, who arrive to Helsinki with a car and would like to visit the far north. ^^

[@BoloH.]

People like to shit on VR constantly but I've never had any problem with it. The only truly common occurrence, disregarding cases when the train is late for a few minutes, is that some of the bathrooms are out of order.

[@verttikoo2052]

It is the random price generator that gets my blood boiling.

[@maxthurner]

I just took this train in standard / eco class and let me tell you as austrian who is used to nice train travel: it is great! not only is the train really fast, the seats are also very very comfortable and if there is no one behind you, you can lean them back all the way. I‘ve never seen something similar in any standard class before! Very nice video

[@elina3016]

I've taken an intercity train twice in economy class, and it was always pleasant! The first time I was seated at the children's section, but it was still mostly peaceful, which was slightly surprising. Good trains!

[@pleasebeseatedfortakeoff]

As a Finn living abroad is fun to see familiar places. Also makes me smile how nicely you talk about VR trains as Finns mostly complain about them. Thanks for the video!

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thanks for the kind words! Every country loves to complain about their own trains :D

[@pleasebeseatedfortakeoff]

@@Simon-Andersen that is so true and goes with other things too 😆

[@jmsmilfajt]

VR ICs are absolutely amazing, I really prefer them over SJ's ICs but would I dare to say that they are the best in Europe? I honestly enjoy Siemens rolling stock the most so for me, Railjets and ICEs make up the best IC trains. 😁 And I really look forward to the new Comfortjets from ČD.

[@Simon-Andersen]

The Railjet is deffo also a top contender! I look forward to seeing the Comfortjets as CD plans to run them to my hometown of Copenhagen in 2025 :D

[@jmsmilfajt]

@@Simon-Andersen Yes, Denmark will be conquered by our Sirloin in cream sauce with pastry dumplings and Pilsner Urquell on tap. 😁 Looking forward to visit!

[@alpantanjung4824]

We love VR train. MY wife and I travelled from Helsinki to Tampere on the 4th week Juli 2023. We flew Finnair from Singapore to Helsinki. The train station is very close to the airport. The VR train was double decker. It was comfy and quite. We have 1 big suitcase and 2 hand carry luggages. As you mention there are compartement of luggages that made our traveliing easier.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Sounds like a great trip!

[@MikkoRantalainen]

Trains are only fast within the Helsinki-Tampere-Lahti area in Finland. The railroad network outside that are does work but the railroad typically has one set of tracks preventing rapid two-way traffic and as a result, traveling times get much longer because you have to constantly stop waiting for the trains going into opposite direction.

[@mrmattigamingFIN]

The ED-series double decker coaches look nice as well.

[@xItzSpruce]

I go to school by train. I have good experience with VR. And since school is 20km away from home school gives me discount to the tickets. Btw im a child. I go from Tikkurila to Järvenpää

[@SoumyaChowdhury24081995]

Really great railway by finland

[@mccoy79productions66]

Nice share my friend~!

[@Simon-Andersen]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@FinnisJaeger]

As a Finnish person who also values VR it is nice to see foreigners enjoy VR too even though it gets so much sht from other Finns

[@henry3092]

Plus, kaksi, kolme, kolme, nolla, kaksi, neljä, yhdeksän, kolmekymmentä, kolmekymmentäyksi, seitsemän, seitsemän

[@Sans-the-skeleton-123]

I remember going on these and just staying in the playground at the bottom of the train

[@CaptainBuzzBee]

I really enjoy an outward facing chair upstairs in the restaurant car.

[@Ralphieboy]

L have ridden that train and it is brilliant

[@MikhailTravels]

Привет 🙋🏼‍♂️ Превосходное видео 👍🏻🔝📹 🆒️

[@jaskafarai2637]

Thanks for good video. I really hope that there will not be any privatization of passenger operations in Finland. It would certainly lead to higher ticket prices based on my experiences from UK and Sweden.

[@julenalle]

I might have slight disagreement about IC Extra class seats. Those winged headrests are bad for your shoulders when you are 197cm tall😅 Anyway, welcome to Tampere!

[@Simon-Andersen]

I guess its always gonna be hard to make a seat thats suits every height 😅

[@zoolkhan]

true that. we have to shrink.

[@Celatra]

im only 182cm tall and i honestly didn't like the seats. I prefer the eco class.

[@MrPelzi91]

same here traveling with the trains in finland is quite uncomfortrable for me but they are so cheap that it is stupid to own a car if you do not have to

[@PeterNGloor]

when you come from HEL airport, you can board the northward trains at Tikkurila, but many people do not even know this.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I do because I did that the last time I went to Oulu :D

[@ihmejakki2731]

Watching this in the Joensuu railway station while waiting for a train replacement bus yet another time. In the south/west the trains are fine, but outside there its more often than not that a couple hour train ride can easily become a day project

[@henry3092]

Plus, kaksi, kolme, kolme, nolla, kaksi, neljä, yhdeksän, kolmekymmentä, kolmekymmentäyksi, seitsemän, seitsemän

[@qornopiratu]

The features included in these trains seem amazing. Was that a telephone cabin in extra class? Too bad most of these features would be hard to implement on smaller loading gauges

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yes it was and theres a few more throughout the train :D

[@gaedzable]

Originally in Pendolino and older InterCity trains those were smoking cabins. Onboard smoking hasn’t been allowed in about 20yrs but they kept the cabins even in newer trains, they are now telephone cabins and various smaller cabins.

[@klapiroska4714]

Regular double decker cars have a telephone cabin on both the upper and lower level. It's by no means an extra class thing.

[@Redgethechemist]

I don’t know what’s your definition of best, but Finnish rail is definitely not the best in my standards. Sure it’s comfy and rather affordable but it’s so slow. The wifi doesn’t work everywhere and as in any other country, delays happen, particularly in winter. I commute very often to northern Savonia and it takes 4 to 5 h depending on the schedule to travel 390 km. Top speed is 160 km/h on this route and the train stops in every single village with more than 10000 inhabitants. I have used other European trains, and recently did à Lyon-Rennes trip on the TGV (700 km) that took me 4 h. The price was 52 € (same as a single ticket for my Finnish commute) and although it was a OUIGO 2nd class, I had a very comfortable seat, enough leg room and a strong wifi with onboard streaming of movies, music, books all accessible for free from the network. So a very different experience at 320 km/h top speed. I think VR would gain investing in proper high speed rail as the country is quite long from North to South and that would really help develop cities in central Finland.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Deffianlty! That's why my focus was just the trains themselves as I really do belive they are some of the best in Europe. But the rail system as a whole is a other topic for discussion and would warrent a much longer and carefully researched video :-)

[@discozula4469]

you should have shown the viewes the small mall below the trainstation in helsinki, its a real treasure trove for a tourist

[@Pysypj]

Because my grandparents live in Tampere I use Helsinki-Tampere line alot. And because I live in Kirkkonummi (40min from Helsinki) I'm always taking a local U train to Pasila and switch there for an IC. Train connections here in Southern Finland are excellent. When traveling on IC I often book a extra class ticket because it's super comfortable and costs only 10€ extra

[@anteron4721]

Many of my friends work at the Transtech factory which was not too long ago bought by Skoda so nowadays it's called Skoda Transtech and is located in Otanmäki

[@abidali-uq9sq]

Mashallah so beautiful country every setup is well systemized.people are very happy onbehalf ofall kinds of facilities from abid pakistan peshawar.

[@lynxoflight72]

I would highly encourage you to try out the ICE service here in germany, especially for a longer route. Personally i absolutely love traveling with them apart from the fairly common occurance of long delays and other issues. There is even a line to paris, which might give the opportuniy for a cross europe tour series of sorts.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I have been on various ICE services before but i wanna come back to film soon! They are great trains but yeah DB seems to be in a bit of a operational meltdown state atm.

[@janoschamann3008]

cool, didn't know you used to live in finland - which city did you live in?^^ i used to live a year in western finland as well and also enjoyed many trips aboard VR trains. some things i would maybe add: + the luggage lockers are truly great; not that you would need it in finland haha + the pace at which these trains run at are extraordinary. I used to cover a trip of about 80km in each direction and it took less than 40min. Also to get to and from Helsinki, the travel time was just superior to driving a car. In Finland, even though it's such a huge country, they really managed to make trains the best mode of transport. And since VR runs on (as far as i know) 100% emission free current with no diesel trains in their passanger fleet, that's an amazing sentiment to cut carbon emissions. - i really didn't like the pricing model though. if you book far in advance, it might be cheap. but the prices increase the later you book. i paid as low as 20€ to Helsinki and as high as 65€. so it's not really affordable to take a spontaneos trip somewhere :( - Finland's rail network is excellent for some and pretty useless for others. The connections from north to south are usually great but crossing the country from west to east is next to impossible. and if you're in Lappland (north of Rovaniemi), good luck without a car o_o - and just a small thing that is good to know about VR stations, the luggage lockers there are pretty poor quality and only take 2€ coins to pay for the 8€/day price, which is ridiculous in such a modern and cashless country.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I had almost 2 years in Turku! The railway network is indeed not set up for spontainus trips and anything not Helsinki oriented gets tough. Maybe one day more service will return if the goverment is willing to invest in more rural train services.

[@AK-jm1sc]

My problem with VR is, that despite being a Finnish railway, every-single-winter when I'm trying to travel somewhere, the trains get crazy delayed due to snow. I've pretty much given up on travelling in winter by train, because last time I ended up waiting 2 hours at the the train station, in the freezing cold because it was the night and the countryside train station itself had closed, and while they did open an indoor space for us to stand in (no chairs or seats) it was so crowded that I had to stand there like a sardine neck-to-neck with over 60 people, eventually I gave up waiting when they delayed it by another 45 minutes, and I realized I wouldn't make it to my destination in time to catch public transport and I didn't want to pay another 60 euros for a taxi. Long-distance buses still tend to run fine, even in the middle of snowstorms, so I've started taking those, comfortable enough (if you pay for extra for more leg space) and have free-wifi etc. just like the trains. Also bus tickets go for like half the price or less. You have to bring your own drinks and snacks if you're looking to eat, but the bus rides don't really take too much longer than the trains.

[@klapiroska4714]

Long delays are rare, though they do happen especially during winter storms. In most cases, even if the train was severely delayed, the train is still faster option than a bus. I think even the worst on-time performance services have less than 1 delay over 30 minutes per month. As a side note, when things go wrong on the main line, trains between Helsinki and Oulu, Kolari or Rovaniemi can be late many hours (like 5-14 hours late). Happens about once a year for certain unlucky services (mainly sleeper trains and afternoon/evening services). Most often delays are caused by vandalism and suicides. A suicide will basicly shut down the line for 60-90 minutes. Other common reasons include track failures (faulty safety or signaling equipment, damaged electrical supply etc), equipment failures (limited speed or total failure), freight train stuck on the tracks, as well as forest fires etc. If you happen to find yourself on or waiting for a delayed train, you can get compensation. If the train is late for more than one hour, you'll get 25% refund for the ticket. If it's late for more than 2 hours, you'll get 50% refund. If you miss the last public transit connection of the day (which you would otherwise been able to make), you can get a refund for additional expences, such as a taxi home. Lesser known thing is the train operators duty of care. If your train is severely delayed, you can get free drinks (such as water, coffee and tea), snacks and even food within reason (evaluated on a case by case basis, and depends on the delay and availability of food and drinks). This is basicly never announced in the train, or offered by default, so you need to ask the conductor or restaurant car staff if you can get free drinks or food. In general, you'll get drinks after about an hour delay, snacks after couple of hours, and you'll never want to end up in a situation where you can get food (as it means you are probably 5 hours late, maybe even more).

[@Celatra]

i've travelled during winter alot and this has never been an issue for me

[@haneski8020]

I traveled 8 years to work by train (like 100km oneway). And even changed from an IC to a local train (twice a day of course). During these years IC were twice so late (because of a snow storm) that the local train could not wait: so I had to wait an extra hour for next train. And it was very rare when trains were running late more than 10 minutes - few times a year, I think. But it was funny when a train was running late like 3 minutes, people were crying like the world is going to crush down.... We are punctual here in Finland, yes, but VR is actually a pretty good company.

[@zebboplayer70]

Steissi (helsinki railway station) is one of the beatiful train station ive ever seen, and im noit saying this as just a local haha

[@juliuspalttala]

i feel bad for you for getting a delay, i mean i've never had one even though i've travelled a lot between my home city, Tampere and the capital for the past six months

[@Simon-Andersen]

Cant do much about someone setting fire to the tracks. I've taken the train many times from Turku to Helsinki without issue :-)

[@samtrak1204]

Is the ride as smooth and quiet as it looks?

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yes! One advantage of locohauled electric trains is that there are almost no sound as there is only an engine at the front

[@Jertzuu]

They are really quiet. The old blue, steel(?) wagons were really loud, but thankfully they are long gone now

[@jonowee]

How does wheelchair accessible facilities work onboard? I'm struggling to spot any.

[@pp-bf2ec]

Usually at least one of the carriages has several wheelchair spots and toilets. And food can be ordered via app to your seat, and some trains have also food/drinks trolley going around.

[@Simon-Andersen]

As pp-bf2ec points out, the train has at least one accessible coach that has a large step free area, but unfortunately most of the train is not accessible due to the internal stairs.

[@ilkkakoski4412]

Usually the accessible area is on couch 4, which includes 2 wheelchair spaces. I’ve used those maybe 20-30 times, and they are great! Sometimes though people with children leave their strollers there, but with the help of them or the staff you’ll get your space quickly. You can also charge your electric wheelchair or mobility scooter / invamoped as long as your charger uses the normal wall sockets you find in Finnish homes too. Have done that too, since part of my journeys have been with a manual, part with an electric wheelchair and part with a smallish mobility scooter (Invacare Orion Pro) - not so sure If bigger mobility scooters fit from the doors of the train.

[@nivardofloresperez1169]

Fantastic train, just what you spect to see in a First World Train.

[@XIKaMuIX]

Man the new price changes doe. Before i got from joensuu to Tampere for 14€ if u was lucky but now its 47€ even after student discount 😂

[@XGD5layer]

If you book sufficiently in advance you can get it down to at least 13,30€ one way. 9.8 had one that low

[@tltlteeporkinal4948]

I was myselfin a delayed train in finland from tampere to turku the train was delayed over 1 hour and im missed my ship to sweden

[@herrakaarme]

It seems like most delays these days are due to faults in the electronic traffic control. If there's an error in the system, the trains will simply stop, until it's fixed, even if nothing strange was going on. They really should have a backup system. Furthermore, the system is extremely inflexible. This summer, I watched my train stop a few hundred meters from the station and stand there for 15 minutes, unable to move, because it didn't have the permission from the traffic control system before another train departed first. Unfortunately that other train wasn't in any hurry, so nothing happened for 15 minutes. Obviously the already moving train wouldn't have needed 15 mins to cross 300 meters, well before the other train had any intention to go anywhere, but there was apparently nothing anyone could do about it, even though everybody could see with their own eyes what was going on.

[@OcnarF505]

Hey Simon...Incase of Luggage is there any restrictions for it....please let us know..Thanks...Kitos😂

[@Simon-Andersen]

No restrictions, as long as you can carry it yourself then you can bring it

[@jererantanen8935]

i was in pasila

[@TheMusicalPotatoes]

the only thing that sucks is connections east-west. I live in Joensuu and if I want to go to Kuopio or Jyväskylä or anywhere in the west, I have to travel down to helsinki and back up, in a V-shape, doubling the travel time and prices. I wish they had better connections for that.

[@peterrivet648]

Very good, but as with the double deck carriages used on some trains in France and the Netherlands, what provision is made for wheelchair users? Clearly they will not be able to use the stairs so they need to have an area reserved for their use close to one or more of the doors from the platform. Also the price of 18 euros is what you are charged if you book in advance. What is the price of the ticket if you buy it on the day of travel?

[@Yaspis]

Some of the IC cars that VR uses have larger, handicap-accessible bathrooms as well as seating options (often with a table, to allow for eating and working). The cars themselves are low threshold and come very close to the track bay edge and the platform so that wheelchair users can come aboard easily. These seating options and bathrooms are always on the ground level floor.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Prices vary even on the day but considerably more expensive

[@malbecmikegrey996]

Regarding Helsinki station, when was the platform area roofed-over? I remember in the 1980s it was completely open. It had been covered by 2001, but I have a gap between then and 1986.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I dont know unfortunately, hopefully another commenter can enlighten us

[@pp-bf2ec]

The roof was completed in 2001

[@samigeography]

It's best train i used

[@jackblack6336]

Who is the producer of wagons?

[@Simon-Andersen]

Skoda Transtech

[@vjollila96]

9:01 im immediately thinking about elokapina they do shit like that every now and then

[@kahlaaja]

As someone that always picks a cheaper end ticket I have never seen premium seats like you had in a finnish train, and I always wonder how many people really afford them. Because the price even with cheaper tickets tickles sometimes the cost of traveling by car (local people) or even a flight.. VR works ok though, and I have heard that even though in Finland it is an open joke that trains are always late, when the stats are compared to other European train companies, apparently VR is among the least delayed companies. :D I personally think that TGV's in France are in a complete league of their own in smoothness of the ride (I've had one trip Paris->Lux), but the Finnish trains maybe are a nicer and more spacious place to spend longer time

[@Simon-Andersen]

It's ussualy only a 5-15 euros on top of a normal ticket to go in one of the better classes. TGVs are good trains, unfortunately the last 3 times I've been to France they been on strike with all trains canceled :(

[@RassuYT357]

2:33 this is a really old hlv-train, which will be deleted from service soon (i think)

[@ducky_the_helper]

a train with a play area! Where I'm from (Australia) your lucky if your train has a toilet

[@lihavalokki5705]

I guess the standard for trains isn't that high, if foreigners think VR is doing something right. Happy to hear people are enjoying them though!

[@XGD5layer]

It's hard to do better, but we can only complain about what we know and want.

[@bqurlexd]

I am in this train currently lol

[@Atomsk102]

Thanks for showing us how to pronounce "Tampere". I mistakenly thought the last e was silent. I said tam-PEE-r. It really sounds like "Tempura" :)

[@ClemensKatzer]

In Finnish the emphasis is always on the first syllable (and each letter is pronounced, hence the last e won't be silent. Ever.). However, international way to pronounce them is indeed TamPERe and HelSINki. Annoyed/confused me a lot when travelling by plane - "don't they know how to pronounce that correctly"? They do, it's just that's the international way. Same as few people probably could pronounce Barcelona the same way as native spanish speakers.

[@Ritaaw1]

You didn’t show the green button that opens doors just by touching it, you can’t press it down

[@hhielscher]

Very good seats? Yet no word about the plastic armrests.

[@JP-oe4ry]

The only problem I have experianced with Finnsh railways is in summer the restaurant car often either runs out of beer or doesnt have enough staff to deal with the customers!

[@NeonNion]

That's a serious problem! VR should definitely add a beer tanker carriage on every train during the Summer season.

[@xItzSpruce]

​@@NeonNionok. I dont need that. I decided to never drink it or any alcohol or smoke. Its bad

[@NeonNion]

@@xItzSpruce That's good to hear! I was just joking. Neither do really I. I've tasted beer once in my life and that was by accident. It was in a spa in Milano, 2 months ago, where we had a happy half an hour. During that time we could drink and eat as much as we wanted. At some point, I accidentally took bear from a bear tap. Though it was something else. Needless to say, it tasted shit. I just can't understand how anyone can drink that crap.

[@xItzSpruce]

@@NeonNion ye it is crap

[@xItzSpruce]

@@NeonNion and i even cant drink bc im child. And i decided also not to use drugs bc it not do any good

[@kallekas8551]

Yeah… just make sure you book a seat as well!😂

[@McSuquina]

Does this train go to Sweden as well?

[@JohnTwo1]

Finland uses rail width dating back from the Russian empire meaning it is uncompatible with European trains and rail networks. But I suppose you could switch trains at the border but no there would not be enough customers for a route like that. Most travel to Sweden happens between helsinki and Stockholm with a cheap 1h flight.

[@sami19090]

@@JohnTwo1 I'd say that most travel between southern Finland and Sweden is on ferries. They're sometimes really cheap and you can get to Stockholm from Turku or Helsinki with them, and from Vaasa to Umeå.

[@fortuna7469]

@@JohnTwo1 Due to climate crisis there are many more of us who choose not to fly anymore and prefer taking the train whenever possible. Hence the revival of night train network in Europe and planning for a rail connection from Finland to Sweden (Laurila-Tornio-Haaparanta) to be built in 2023-24. I look forward to getting on train in Helsinki in the evening and waking up in Stockholm the next morning! Much less carbon emissions than by air or sea. 💚

[@ClemensKatzer]

@@fortuna7469 Rail connection to Sweden? Awesome. Yes, people here like the night trains, I used it many times to go to Lapland. I would be looking forward to taking a sleeper train to Germany (if the tunnel Helsinki-Talinn is ever to be built) but I suspect it won't be during my lifetime (I'm 52). Less carbon emissions and more comfortable. Instead of waiting in airport, security checks, cramped in a plane seat, wake up refreshed and start into the day. Yay! By plane, essentially you "waste" one day,

[@tj-co9go]

If our trains are the best in Europe how bad must the rest of Europe be?

[@felixtheodorwilliams3966]

Can you try the finnish commuter trains?

[@Simon-Andersen]

Already have 2 older videos on my channel of the Sm2 and Sm4 kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpC8cp5_hL2fo8U kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZipZmCle9Jjmc0

[@felixtheodorwilliams3966]

@@Simon-Andersen oh…

[@excancerpoik]

vr is allways late i dont think i have ever experienced a vr train being on time most of the time its only a few minutes but sometimes it can be like 30 min and this comes from someone who lives in finland and has travelled a lot

[@AdvocatusDiaboliFin]

Quite the generalization. I travel every week and the the trains are very rarely late.

[@onelyone6976]

The European comparison for rail service doesn't agree with that, in the last research published in 2017 Finland was ranked 3rd in Europe, only behind Switzerland and Denmark. IIRC VR had like 90% of trains on time (maximum deviation is 3min) alongside good freight utility and passenger ridership

[@klapiroska4714]

@@AdvocatusDiaboliFin Same experience here. It's an old joke that VR stands for "Venaa Rauhassa" (eng. Wait peacefully), but in reality the on-time performance has improved a lot over the past 5-8 years. Sure, there are services which are quite often late (you can check the statistics at Juliadata), but more often than not they are on time. I'd say the travel time is more predictrable than driving.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Spent 2 years living in turku and took the train to Helsinki Airport 1-2 times a month, think I had a delay maybe twice 😊

[@Celatra]

out of all the times i've travelled on train, there's only been 1 10+ minute delay

[@dslightning]

Author, you are wrong. I went by VR train in winter from Kuopio to Helsinki twice. And twice the trains broke down, then the brakes fail, then something else. And these breakdowns led to a delay at the destination of at least two hours. So so service.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yes great thank you. That happens everywhere, statistically speaking Finland ranks high when it comes to ontime performance, just look at the EU railway performance index. I'd much rather be stuck in one of their trains than a Italian IC train.

[@dslightning]

@@Simon-Andersen Yes, there are problems everywhere, I agree. But still, it’s better to get stuck in Italy when it’s quite warm outside than in winter in Finland when it’s minus 30 outside the window.))

[@erviplayer]

Me when finland is mentiomed in a youtube SUOMI PERKELE🇫🇮 Only thing is that they never come on time XD i use trains pretty often and they were often sometimes as much as 1h late

[@Rosvosektori]

VR is a punch line to thousands of jokes.

[@mariamiettinen6347]

Those ”lakes” in Helsinki are actually sea, even they look closed they’re not.

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yup! Now i know, slight mistake for just assuming :-)

[@BlackHoleSpain]

Easy! They don't have dozens of 2000 metres high mountain ranges. They don't spend 1200 million euros to make just one 25 km tunnel and we have to build lots of them.

[@sonjamikaela1277]

yeah but the only oil thats plentiful here is canola...

[@fortuna7469]

True.

[@jannek5757]

I guess they are OK but somehow I aended up in the ones, that have several non-functioning toilets and either non-functioning AC or an AC, thats running on turbo all-time... :|

[@Songfugel]

Yeah, the new trains are quite nice... when they are running/on time But I absolutely hate their "new" pricing system (I guess it is several decades old by now), that seems so profit driven compared to the old one

[@Simon-Andersen]

As I understand it a lot of VRs long distance trains are run for profit or at least only with partial subdisiary.

[@Songfugel]

@@Simon-Andersen VR = Valtion Rautatie = State Owned Railway. VR is 100% owned by the government operating under the Ministry of Transport and Communications

[@klapiroska4714]

@@Simon-Andersen Yes, most long distance services are run for profit. Some lines (such as Tampere-Pori and Kuopio-Oulu) are partially subsidized, as wel as all commuter, regional and sleeper services. Recently (as in March 2023) the pricing system was changed, which lead to even higher prices on popular routes. You can also find the same seat for considerably cheaper if you book your ticket in pieces, which is kind of messed up and probably against some rules or regulations. During the next year or so the new pricing system will probably gather more data and become more reasonable.

[@MrPelzi91]

@@klapiroska4714 I don't understand how the trickets are too pricy, it is always cheaper than driving your own car and that's really how u should compare it

[@klapiroska4714]

@@MrPelzi91 Well not really, at least not always. 55€ economy class train ticket for a route that would be 225km by car, can be cheaper to drive than use the train. Not to mention, that when economy seats are sold out, the remaining tickets for Extra class / upper deck of the dining car cost even more. Anyway, I'm not that annoyed with high prices, but I'm extremely annoyed that if you search for a ticket between two stations, the price of that ticket is not necessarily the cheapest price available for that seat. If you book the exact same seat separatly for 1st and 2nd half of your journey, you can save a considerable ammount of money .The biggest saving potential I've spotted was a 52,9€ ticket, but booked in 2 parts, you'd get it for 11€ cheaper. Keep in mind that this is for the exact same seat (no transfers).

[@ducksareurlords3782]

Lmao the trains might be good but the toilets are absolutely infamous for being terrible!

[@JJ-Malone]

Not that good, I mean they are nice. But damn Finlands railway system is the worst. 5 hours to get from Kuopio to Helsinki. And that's a direct route. If I went anywhere north, east or west I'd have to travel south and back up again to get there. Finland only cares about the railway system in Helsinki, Which is no surprise, all the money spending now on extension is only extending Helsinki to surrounding area. Very very poor system in Finland. Pricing is bullshit, I was going helsinki and saw price was half the price, next morning when went to buy it was double. Moment I bought tickets at double price the same tickets went back down to half price again within hours. Such a scam. And I wasn't allowed to cancel and buy the cheaper tickets.

[@Simon-Andersen]

I agree with most of what you say. But the trains themselves are nice which is what the video is about :-)

[@Maszerr]

R u sure, is the best train in Europe? Toilet r rly terrible and sometimes train are always late. Never been Finland a lot? 😂😂😂

[@Pfaltzgraf]

The trains are good, but ticket costs too much if you do not buy it months in advance.

[@Simon-Andersen]

That is a fair point

[@jonneojennus8702]

The trains are really only good between SOME of the biggest cities, anything else is based on luck each time you travel, ranging from really bad to "ok", really big part of the country has to get a car, and many people living in the good areas still get cars to get some measure of freedom to travel.

[@Simon-Andersen]

The trains them selves are very good tho. But I agree frequency and availability is not great across the country

[@tj-co9go]

Given the population density of Finland the frequency of railway and bus services are quite good. Comparing Finland to something Netherlands doesn't work when one has a density of 18 inhabitants per square kilometer and the other has 508/km2. Germany has 240/km2, France has 119/km2. The UK is 281/km2. However, yes, large parts of the country you are practically forced to own a car. In big or medium sized cities you might never need to use one though.

[@whoisme678]

Is it true Finland siezed trains which travel between itself and Russia ???? YAAAAY!!!. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@Simon-Andersen]

Yes, the Sm6 trains formally used to St Petersburg will now be used for domestic trains in 2025