European Railroad Discussion > Finland: 34 More Flirts to Junakalusto for use at HRT

Junakalusto Oy, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Rolling Stock company, has announced it is using its option for additional 34 four module Flirt EMUs. The trains are similar to 41 already delivered (last two being just tested), with slight design differences on components used. Also the insulation has now been enhanced by 50-100% to better cope with harshly cold weather during the winters. Junakalusto is owned 60% by the three big cities in Helsinki area, Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo, plus minority 40% stake by VR. There are talks about forcing VR out of the company as the monopoly operator is disliked by many. General feeling has been for years that VR has been charging too much for its services and subsidizing its other activities with the income here. So the relations between the companies and politicians of Helsinki area are sour, have been and will be for the foreseeable future.

Junakalusto also had an alternative to order just 13 trains and buy obsolidated VR class Sm2 instead for the rest of the traffic. These are very old fashioned high floor trains, not suitable for elderly, people with baby carts of bikes, generally people with lowered capability to walk and climb, or see. The Sm2 are also not suitable for the gradients on new Ringbana as well as Droplet line where the tunneling work will start next year.

After the newest batch has been delivered in 2017 JK will have an almost uniform fleet of 41 + 34 =75 EMUs. This is just in time when the Helsinki area traffic operations will be openly tendered. I expect someone else besides VR to win this as the relations are so sour and no trust from the cities side (people who pay for the services provided) towards VR exists. But we will see. It also looks like Helsinki area traffic administration will grow by around 10 more cities in the area bringing lots of other traffic in focus too.

The Stadler Rail has done first class work on the current delivery of class Sm5 Flirt 1 EMUs. The trains have been in hard use right from the beginning and are well liked by commuters and frequent travelers. I'm happy with JK ordering 34 more EMUs as this is closer to their total demand of about 110 EMUs in daily traffic by 2020 than ordering just 13 would had been. 110 is based in quick and simple calculation on the current and forecoming traffic patterns.

Next, pictures of class Sm5 EMUs. It remains to be seen if the enhanced EMUs will also be Sm5 or if they will receive the next available classification of Sm7.

Junakalusto press release: http://www.junakalusto.fi/site/?lan=3&mode=tiedotteet&laji=1&tiedote_id=10



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/01/14 03:48 by McKey.

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All pictures here by Andreas, Hannu, Stas and me.

As you can see conditions with flying snow can often be very demanding...

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These red class Sm2 and Sm1 EMUs are to be replaced, and at the same time capacity will have significant increases.

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That is good news. I thought the Sm2 EMUs would be retired by now. Gerry

Yes, isn't this! I'm quite surprised too that they are still rolling though getting less often seen as more Flirt appear to replace them. The aluminum bodied Sm2 could be rebuilt to secondary operators in smaller cities like Tampere or Turku once they get their local traffic rolling. The capacity of Sm2 is clearly quite small, just 179 + 14 seats

http://www.4rail.net/reference_finland_mus_electric1.php#sm2

However, I think the state monopoly VR rather scraps the units than gives any other startup party to operate them. True monopolistic behavior at its purest! And how unfortunate for all of those who still could benefit getting their traffic started outside Helsinki area.

GPutz Wrote:
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> That is good news. I thought the Sm2 EMUs would
> be retired by now. Gerry

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