Finnish Main Line

Finnish Main Line
The Main Line in Oulunkylä, Helsinki
Overview
Native nameFinnish: Päärata; Swedish: Stambanan
OwnerFinnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
Termini
Service
Route number3, 7
History
Opened17 March 1862 (1862-03-17)
Technical
Line length810 km (500 mi)
Number of tracks
  • 4 (HelsinkiKytömaa, AinolaPurola)
  • 2 (KytömaaAinola, PurolaLielahti, Pohjois-LoukoLapua, KokkolaYlivieska)
  • 1 (LielahtiPohjois-Louko, LapuaKokkola)
Route map

Helsinki
Pasila
Tikkurila
Riihimäki
to Lahti
Hämeenlinna
Toijala
Lempäälä
to Haapamäki
and Jyväskylä
Tampere
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
Rovaniemi
Ylitornio
Misi
Pello
Kemijärvi
Kolari

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.

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. The goal is to reduce the travel time from Tampere to Helsinki from the current 1 hour 33 minutes to about an hour.