Finnish Main Line

Finnish Main Line
File:Päärata, Oulunkylä.JPG The Main Line in Oulunkylä, Helsinki
Overview
Native name	Finnish: Päärata; Swedish: Stambanan
Owner	Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
Termini	Helsinki Oulu
History
Opened	17 March 1862 (1862-03-17)
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 Helsinki File:BSicon KINTa.svg Pasila File:BSicon INT.svg Tikkurila File:BSicon INT.svg to Lahti File:BSicon CONTgq.svg File:BSicon ABZgr.svg Riihimäki File:BSicon pHST.svg to Lahti File:BSicon CONTgq.svg File:BSicon ABZgr+r.svg Hämeenlinna File:BSicon pHST.svg File:BSicon ABZg+l.svg File:BSicon CONTfq.svg to Turku Harbour Toijala File:BSicon pHST.svg Lempäälä File:BSicon pHST.svg to Haapamäki and Jyväskylä File:BSicon CONTgq.svg File:BSicon ABZgr+r.svg Tampere File:BSicon INT.svg File:BSicon ABZgl.svg File:BSicon CONTfq.svg to Pori Parkano File:BSicon pHST.svg Seinäjoki File:BSicon INT.svg File:BSicon ABZgl.svg File:BSicon CONTfq.svg to Vaasa Lapua File:BSicon HST.svg Kauhava File:BSicon HST.svg Härmä (summer only) File:BSicon epHST.svg Pännäinen File:BSicon HST.svg Kokkola File:BSicon BHF.svg Kannus File:BSicon HST.svg Ylivieska File:BSicon INT.svg to Iisalmi File:BSicon CONTgq.svg File:BSicon ABZgr.svg Oulainen File:BSicon HST.svg Vihanti File:BSicon HST.svg Ruukki File:BSicon HST.svg Kempele File:BSicon HST.svg to Kajaani File:BSicon CONTgq.svg File:BSicon ABZg+r.svg Oulu File:BSicon INT.svg Kemi File:BSicon INT.svg File:BSicon bSHI2rxl.svg Tervola File:BSicon pHST.svg File:BSicon exHST.svg Tornio-Itäinen Muurola File:BSicon pHST.svg File:BSicon exABZgl.svg File:BSicon exdCONTfq.svg to Sweden Rovaniemi File:BSicon HST.svg File:BSicon exHST.svg Ylitornio Misi File:BSicon eHST.svg File:BSicon exHST.svg Pello Kemijärvi File:BSicon KHSTe.svg File:BSicon exKHSTe.svg 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.

See also

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

External links

• Päärata (in Finnish)