Recent content by jamesontheroad

Yes, I've noticed this misunderstanding in a few outlets and forums. It's become quite widespread. The Finnish timetable is not planned to change again this year; it is the Swedish one which will adapt to align with the Finnish one.

Operationally, VR don't have the right rolling stock for this service, so they have to use long-distance rolling stock in the gaps in the existing service pattern between Oulu and Helsinki. So the north/south connections are a reflection of that. Don't quote me on this, but I think this is...

It's a little ambiguous, but I don't think this means VR's timetable will change, rather that Norrtåg's will so that cross-border connections become smoother. I'm still a little skeptical about the long term prospects for this route - if the government funding is withdrawn it's very unlikely to...

This is not a standard gauge example, but the discontinued Allegro between Helsinki and St. Petersburg bridged the minute difference between the 1,520mm Russian track and 1,524mm Finnish track, but it had doors with retractable steps that could accommodate 200 mm Finnish platforms, 550 mm...

Corrected!

Thought this might be of interest to anyone following the export of ex-JR Hokkaido stock. A couple of YouTube videos have just been published by a Japanese railfan showing the former Japanese KiHa 183 DMUs now in passenger service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the Kinshasa–Matadi...

@The pumpkin has the most up to date info you could hope for. Here are some pics from February 2023 when I used a 10-day Interrail pass to travel from northern Sweden to Athens. The modernist station is grander than the current levels of service, but don’t miss the charming Orthodox chapel on...

Over on Postvagnen, the online forum of the Swedish Railway Club, an eagle-eyed member has spotted that Norrtåg have stopped selling tickets for the morning and afternoon trips between Luleå, Boden and Haparanda from Monday 10th August 2026, i.e. the same day that Finnish services Oulu-Haparanda...

Simon Andersen tried European Sleeper from Berlin to Paris. Almost everything went wrong.

That’s great news. It’s a shame they can’t be marketed as through trains. Perhaps a technicality of the funding that’s been secured for them. 1782674154 And early this morning, Sunday 28th June, VR repeated the process with an Sm3 Pendolino, seen here at Haparanda: https://vaunut.org/kuva/181357

From the published schedule, there is no indication that these will be through trains to/from destinations south of Oulu. So, although VR will use Intercity rakes with a full-service restaurant car, they're going to be used on a publicly procured and subsidised local/regional train. There's no...

Great news! I've been waiting years for this, but annoyingly, I'm working in Umeå on 10th August so there's absolutely no chance of me being there from day 1. Perhaps I'll wait and see if Norrtåg adjust their schedules to improve connections from the Swedish side and make a trip later in the...

Yes, Snälltåget’s sleeping accommodations are only 6-bed couchettes with 3 bunks on each side. You can pay (a lot) for a private compartment but it’s still a couchette. In COVID times I did this, as someone in medium-risk group, and two charming Interrailers of the opposite sex tried to sweet...

Sorry to hear that your sailing trip has been cancelled. That would have been wonderful. Snälltåget are generally reliable, and this summer are premiering daytime trains Oslo-Malmö and Stockholm-Berlin. Personally I would avoid the seat or couchette-only experience of the night train and take a...

Great video! Worth noting the timestamp in the bottom left hand corner... the film begins at 23.44 in the evening, in the beautiful Arctic midsummer night.