Kerava–Lahti railway line

The Kerava–Lahti railway line or Lahden oikorata (Lahti direct line) is a railway line in southern Finland between the towns of Kerava and Lahti, which opened on 3 September 2006.[1]

Kerava–Lahti railway
Construction of the Kerava–Lahti railway line at Mäntsälä in 2005.
Overview
LocaleSouthern Finland
TerminiKerava
Lahti
Stations3
Technical
Line length75.7 km (47.0 mi)
Number of tracksDouble track
Track gauge1,524 mm (5 ft)
Electrification25 kV @ 50 Hz
Operating speed120 to 220 km/h (75 to 137 mph)

History

The construction of the Kerava–Lahti railway line took four years and cost €331 million.[2] At the time it was the first new passenger railway to be opened in Finland since completion of the Jämsänkoski–Jyväskylä line in 1977, reducing the journey time between Kerava and Lahti by 26 kilometres. Funding was provided by the Finnish government and the European Union, with the route forming part of the EU's "Nordic Triangle" TEN-T strategic transport route.[3]

Services

The line is used as a shortcut for services from Helsinki to eastern Finnish cities including Kouvola, Kuopio and Joensuu, which all used the line to Riihimäki prior to the construction of the Kerava–Lahti line. The Z train of the Helsinki commuter rail also uses the line.

Future

Proposals exist to build a similar direct railway line from Helsinki Central to Kouvola via Helsinki Airport and Porvoo,[4] which would handle traffic to eastern Finnish cities such as Kuopio, Joensuu, Lappeenranta and Mikkeli, providing a shorter journey time between Helsinki and these cities than currently offered by the Kerava-Lahti line.

Stations

See also

References
  1. "Lahti - Salpausselän kaupunki". YLE Uutiset. 12 February 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  2. "Direct Line will reshape the Finnish network". Railway Gazette. 1 October 2006. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  3. "A direct approach to a direct line". Global Railway Review. 31 May 2006. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  4. "Helsinki – Kouvola direct link "not economically viable"". International Rail Journal. 5 April 2019.
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