Editing Transport in Finland (section)

== Rail transport ==
=== Railways ===
[[File:Train on a bridge at Töölönlahti in Helsinki, Finland, 2023 May.jpg|thumb|A double-decker InterCity 2 train on a bridge near central station in [[Helsinki]].]]
[[File:Vr sr3 3304 3307 3306.jpg|thumb|A new Swiss made [[VR Class Sr3]] locomotives.]]
{{main|Rail transport in Finland}}
The Finnish railway network consists of a total of {{convert|5919|km|mi}}<ref name="stats2011">{{cite book | url = http://www2.liikennevirasto.fi/julkaisut/pdf3/lti_2011-05_suomen_rautatietilasto_web.pdf | title = Suomen rautatietilasto 2011 | publisher = Finnish Transport Agency | year = 2011 | language = fi, sv | issn = 1798-8128 | isbn = 978-952-255-684-4 | format = pdf | access-date = 21 July 2011 | archive-date = 3 March 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232246/http://www2.liikennevirasto.fi/julkaisut/pdf3/lti_2011-05_suomen_rautatietilasto_web.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> of railways built with {{RailGauge|1524mm|allk=on}}.<ref name="networkstatement">{{cite book | url = http://portal.liikennevirasto.fi/portal/page/portal/A29BF44CDA99A9D0E040B40A1B0169C7 | title = Network Statement 2012 | publisher = Finnish Transport Agency | year = 2010 | issn = 1798-8284 | isbn = 978-952-255-603-5 | format = pdf }}{{dead link|date=January 2017}}</ref> {{convert|3072|km|abbr=on}} of track is electrified.<ref name="stats2011"/> In 2010, passengers made 13.4&nbsp;million long-distance voyages and 55.5&nbsp;million trips in local traffic.<ref name="stats2011"/> On the same year, over {{convert|35000000|t}} of freight were transported.<ref name="stats2011"/>

Finland's first railway was opened between [[Helsinki]] and [[Hämeenlinna]] in 1862,<ref>Neil Kent: ''Helsinki: A Cultural History'', p. 18. Interlink Books, 2014. {{ISBN|978-1566565448}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5061482|title=Tulihevonen saapui ensi kerran Hämeenlinnaan 150 vuotta sitten|trans-title=The "fire horse" arrived first time in Hämeenlinna 150 years ago|work=Yle Häme|publisher=[[Yle]]|date=January 31, 2012|access-date=March 17, 2022|language=fi}}</ref> and today it forms part of the [[Finnish Main Line]] (''päärata''), which is more than 800 kilometers long. Nowadays, passenger trains are operated by the state-owned [[VR (company)|VR]]. They serve all the major cities and many rural areas, complemented by bus connections where needed. Most passenger train services originate or terminate at [[Helsinki Central railway station]], and a large proportion of the passenger rail network radiates out of Helsinki. High-speed [[VR Class Sm3|Pendolino]] services are operated from Helsinki to other major cities like [[Jyväskylä]], [[Joensuu]], [[Kuopio]], [[Oulu]], [[Tampere]] and [[Turku]].  Modern [[InterCity#Finland|InterCity]] services complement the Pendolino network, and cheaper and older long and short-distance trains operate in areas with fewer passengers.

The Helsinki area has three [[urban rail]] systems: a [[Helsinki tram|tramway]], a [[Helsinki Metro|metro]], and a [[Helsinki commuter rail|commuter rail system]]. [[Light rail]] systems are currently being planned for [[Helsinki]] and also for [[Turku]] and [[Tampere]], two of the country's other major urban centres.

===Metro===
[[File:M300 (316) lähestyy Mellunmäkeä (10).jpg|thumb|[[HKL Class M300]]  use on the [[Helsinki Metro]]]]
The [[Helsinki metro]] is a 43-kilometer broad-gauge metro system that connects the center of Helsinki with the eastern districts and the western [[Espoo]]. The capital region has the northernmost metro system in the world and the only one in Finland. The Helsinki metro was opened on August 2, 1982, initially between [[Rautatientori]] and [[Itäkeskus]]. On November 18, 2017, [[Länsimetro]] extended the metro lines from the inner city to the west, via [[Lauttasaari]] to [[Tapiola]] and [[Matinkylä]], and on December 3, 2022, all the way to [[Kivenlahti]].

===High-speed rail===
{{Main|High-speed rail in Finland}}

There are plans to link Helsinki to Turku and Tampere by high-speed lines resulting in journey times of an hour between the capital and the two cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/16167-finland-earmarks-funds-for-new-rail-links-between-helsinki-turku-and-tampere.html|title=Finland earmarks funds for new rail links between Helsinki, Turku and Tampere|website=Helsinki Times|date=4 February 2019}}</ref> A link to [[Kouvola]] is also planned. The estimated cost of these lines is €10 billion.

=== Trams and light rail ===
{{main|Trams in Finland}}
In Finland there have been two cities with trams: [[Helsinki]] and [[Tampere]]. Of the older systems only Helsinki has retained [[Trams in Helsinki|its tramway network]]. The [[Trams in Vyborg|trams in Viipuri]], having been lost to [[Soviet Union]] in 1945, ceased operations in 1957, while the [[trams in Turku|Turku tramway network]] shut down in 1972.

In November 2016, [[Tampere]] city council approved the construction of a new [[Tampere light rail|light rail system]]. Construction of phase 1 begun late 2016 and finished in 2021. Tampere trams are already operating but the official opening date is 9 August 2021. Turku also has preliminary plans for new tram system, but no decision to build it has been made.

Helsinki currently operates 10 tramlines on a network of approximately {{convert|90|km}} of track in passenger service.  The trams have annually 57 million passengers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hel.fi/www/hkl/en/by-tram/ |title=By tram |publisher=Helsinki |access-date=15 January 2017 |archive-date=9 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309052748/http://www.hel.fi/www/hkl/en/by-tram/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raitio.org/ratikat/helsinki/radat/radat.htm |title=Helsinki, tram track network |publisher=Raitio.org |access-date=15 January 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224084703/http://www.raitio.org/ratikat/helsinki/radat/radat.htm |archive-date=24 February 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

<gallery>
Image:Artic (tram) in Helsinki.jpg|New [[Škoda Artic]] tram in Helsinki
ForCity Smart Artic X54 in Helsinki city centre, 2021 November.jpg|New[[Helsinki light rail line 15|The Artic XL]] tram in Helsinki
Raitiovaunu Hämeenkadulla.jpg|New [[Škoda Artic]] tram in Tampere
Kakola Funicular 3.jpg|[[Funicular]] in Turku
</gallery>