Shreds European Trips, Volume 2.

[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 5). Saturday 30th August 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I slept well on the sleeper train from Chisinau, Moldova, in fact after the border checks, I slept right through until the carriage attendant woke me prior to the train`s arrival into Bucharest Nord. I spent another full day around the Gara de Nord railway station. I also had a ride around the city on the trams. I decided to take another night train towards the centre of the country, I caught a train to Cluj Napoca, a city in northwest Romania in the Grand Principality of Transylvania, the Somesi Mic River Valley, with a population of 287,000. The second most populous city in Romania.

I opted for a day coach and got chatting to a few Romanians, one of whom spoke excellent English and had an interest in my travels. As we were chatting an alarm went off on everyone phone in the carriage, apparently it was a government warning that bears were in the area, this happened as the train was passing through Brasov. I said, oh dear, I was just about to go to the buffet car for a coffee, don’t worry my new found friend said, the bears wont be on the train.

As a point of interest Romania has the largest habitation of bears in Europe, which is estimated between 10 and 13,000 animals, the country however does have a large environment in which to support such large numbers of bears. After my friends had departed, I manage to catch up with some more much needed sleep, before my train arrived into the city of Cluj Napoca the next morning.

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Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 6). Sunday 31st August 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

After a few hours sleep on the night train from Bucharest, we eventually pulled into Cloj Napoca, the unofficial capital of Transylvania. New platforms are being built alongside the old ones, so the station is undergoing improvements, it wasn’t however as busy as I had expected, but the direct line to Oradea was closed for engineering work and I didnt manage to get to the depot which was just to the west of the station, but out of sight, it looked of an average size on Google Earth, probably worth revisiting in the future.

I decided to carry on travelling throughout the day and see how far I could get. I caught the next train out to Arad and on the route, we stopped to change loco at Simeria which gave me ample time to check out the locomotive depot, albeit only from the station platforms. Simeria is a place worth revisiting, with lots of locomotives parked around the railway station and a few lines of locomotives leading up to a half roundhouse which appeared very busy. Once we changed from electric locomotive to a diesel locomotive we continued to Arad, another busy railway junction.

Arad locomotive depot lies to the east of the station and looked quite sizable from passing it on the train, I didn’t attempt to visit it on this occasion, but a line up of 6 locos was also evident at the end of the station throat to the west. My next move was to head to Timisoara, the capital city of the Timis County. It was a very slow and long ride to get down there, with the train seeming to take forever, the final leg being through lines of derelict sidings. It’s difficult to get a signal on Romania Railways as most of the trains don’t have Wi-Fi, on arrival into Timisoara Nord, I was lucky in finding an hotel across from the station, so I dropped of the rucksack and was soon back on the station platforms.

The station and yard at Nord looked like a bomb had hit the place, although to be fair some work in the yard appeared to be taking place. I crossed quite a lot of disused lines and reached the depot which consisted of two half roundhouses, accessed through a hole in the fence. I was pulled up on entering the depot by a lovely chap who said he didn’t mind me talking photographs, but security might object, so I took several photographs and then made my way back to the railway station. The locomotive depot looked like it was in a bad way with part of the roof on one of the roundhouses falling in.

I wasn’t particularly impressed by the Timișoara Nord area, so maybe I should visit the city proper on another visit, as I am told it looks much better. The hotel cost me £23 and it was great, and of course the first bed I had slept in since I left Moldova 2 days previous, needless to say I slept well, after a good few days of continuous travel.

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 7). Monday 1st September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I was up early at the Timisoara Nord Hotel after a well-deserved night’s sleep and it was still dark as I boarded a regional, ex German diesel multiple unit service north to Oradea, this was outside the Interrail tickets jurisdiction, but very cheap travel, so I decided to stay on this system for the day, thus saving an Interrail day on my pass, my train left at 06.35.

The train made its way back up to Arad, the yard was busy with 5 locomotives parked up at the west end of the station throat. On leaving the station we soon took the Oradea line north, we did pass one busy yard which contained a line of diesel locomotives, but I’m unsure of the name of the location, however the next station was Chisinau Cris Kisjeno where we had to wait for a south bound train to pass.

I arrived into Oradea late morning and took breakfast in the town, the locomotive depot is more of a stabling point for the odd loco, coaches and DMUs and the station platforms are presently being rebuilt. A lot of investment by the EU is taking place in Romania and it does need it. I then decided to travel up to Ukraine border at Halmeu via Satu Mare, passengers trains no longer cross into Ukraine at Halmeu, but freight still uses the line, there was a large collection of waggons in the vast yards at Halmeu.

I returned on the same train back down the line to Satu Mare managed to get around the locomotive depot, although there wasn’t much on shed, mainly withdrawn single car diesel railcars with a few diesel locomotives in between.

I had decided to travel through the night to cover some new track and work my way back around to Teius, where I had passed the locomotive depot two days previous. The night however consisted of several short hauls. The first train took me to Haia Mare at 22.45 with a change of train to Jabou for around midnight. I then had to wait for another train at 01.18 to take me down to Dej Calatori, which took me into Tuesday of course.

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 8). Tuesday 2nd September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

From Jabou at midnight. My 01.18 train took me down to Dej Calatori, a very busy junction with a large marshalling yard, at the other end of the yard is Dej locomotive depot, which I didn’t get chance to visit on this trip, however Dej Calatori had several locomotives on the platforms and proved to be a busy junction station. The next train I caught was as far as Apahide, to change for my last train of the night to Teius. I hadn’t slept much in the night because of the short rides between changes, but I did manage to complete a few new tracks, albeit in darkness.

I booked into a hotel for the Tuesday night, which was the only hotel in Teius and just a 15-minute walk away from the railway station. After finding a café for some breakfast in the town, I dropped my rucksack off at the hotel and walked back to the railway station.

I was hoping for some freight action throughout the day, but after the first tanker passed through, everything else was passenger services crossing on a hourly basis, so the freight didn’t materialise. It did however have a locomotive depot, I managed to get half way around the depot before being told I had to leave. The Romanian depots can be very difficult to visit, I’ve found just walking in with a note in Romania gives you some access before you get to an official to ask, probably best not to do a complete shed bunk, especially with the war in the east at the moment.

Of interest, an outside railway museum is situated in front of Teius railway station, it has one large steam loco, a CRF 4-6-0 class 230, a railcar, coaches, and track vehicles, while the station, like many in Romania, has a plinthed steam loco on display, a Decapod Class 150 2-10-0. The hotel was good, and it was around 20.00 that I hit the sack and didn’t wake up until the next morning, I certainly needed the sleep after another night on the trains and day on the platforms.

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 9). Wednesday 3rd September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

After a well deserved bed for the night and a good sleep right through, I was back at Teius railway station the next morning, in time to catch a regional train back up to Cluj Napoca, where I spent a pleasant hour in time to catch up with a rail tour, which was taking mixed country tourists around Romania and Bulgaria, I got chatting to an Australia girl who was telling me how much she was enjoying the tour and took me inside to see the facilities, it had a mixed rake of coaches, all in pristine condition with an excellent bar and restaurant on board.

I photographed the tour leaving Cluj Napoca, and then caught another regional train onto Dej Calatori, I had the opportunity of spending a few hours there in the daylight this time, and it was quite busy, I wanted to catch a train to the next station and depot at Dej, but the only train that would get me out there and back was running over an hour late, so I couldn’t really chance it as I was waiting for a night train through to Brasov taking the “Caile Ferate Romane line” to Brasov, a journey of 7 hours. Leaving Dej Calatori at 18.14 and arriving into Brasov for around 01.05, another new line for me, albeit I travelled mainly in darkness on the way across, but was returning on the same line the next day, so I would see it in day light, but I would be travelling back, but continuing from Dej Calatori into Hungary.

I managed to get some sleep on the train to Brasov, and the station was open all night with access to drinks and food machines, I was back in bear country. I had a wait in Brasov until 08.05, but my train would take me from Brasov to Szolnok, Hungary, a journey of fourteen and a half hours, so plenty of time for sleep the following day, although I always try to stay awake in the day light hours, so managed a few hours on the station benches in the early hours.

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 10). Thursday 4th September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

The night on Brasov railway station soon passed, thanks for the coffee machine mainly, at 05.30 a station café opened up, so I managed a breakfast, Romanian style and a few more coffee`s. Soon the railway came back to life, although freight had been trickling through most of the night. It wasn’t long before my train into Hungary arrived on the platforms, and we were away for 08.05 on time, with some fourteen and a half hours in front of me as my train was due to arrive into Szolnok, Hungary at 21.29.

It was nice to travel back along the line I had traversed in the night and been unable to see anything. The Carpathian Mountains followed much of the route. Siculeni with its locomotive depot was the first town of note, and then Deda, Saratel and Beclean Pe Somes, we then passed the locomotive depot and yards of Dej Triaj as we arrived into Dej Calatori, where we turned around and had a locomotive change, from there I was one some new track after we had passed the locomotive depot at Jibou, which had a large selection of diesel locomotives in evidence. Next was Zalau Nord, then Sarmasag, Carei and to the border station at Valea Lui Mihai and into Hungary at Nyirabrany, Vamospercs, Halap, Nagycsere, Kondoroskert, and into the rail centre of Debrecen and then onto Puespoekladany and finally Szolnok just before 22.00, it had been a lovely ride across Romania and into Hungary.

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 11). Friday 5th September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I was on the platforms of Szolnok, Hungry, having arrived from Romania at 22.00 on Thursday night, I was then taking another night train back into Romania to Arad at 00.31 so only a few hours to wait and a refreshment shop was still open on the station for a coffee and a bite to eat. I was traveling on the direct line into Arad via Bekescsaba and Loekoeshaza crossing the Romanian border at Curtici, new tack for me. I arrived into Arad for 04.31, so managed to get a little sleep on the train, I had an easy change at Arad with the 05.05 to Oradea for 08.06, but loco hauled this time for another 3 hours’ worth of sleep, this enabled me to use more new track to get me back into Hungary leaving Oradea at 10.55, so plenty of time for breakfast in the city plus a walk out to the site of the depot. Just 2 shunters and two locos stored at the old depot.

I left Oradea at 10.55, diesel loco hauled again to Puespoekladany on the direct line, crossing the border back into Hungary at Biharkereztes, and arriving into Puespoekladany at 11.27. Apparently, I had crossed an international date line moving between Hungary and Romania with an hours difference each time, this caused me some confusion with my timings.

I had a quick train change over at Puespoekladany, (one minute to be precise), and managed to change platforms and catch the 11.28 to Zahony on Ukraine border. The sun was in a favourable position for the locomotive sheds, so I managed to get a few decent photographs, I did ask to go around, but they always seem to turn you down at Zahony, however, you can see quite a lot of the depot from the side of the line.

At 15.03 I took a train south to Debrecen, I had attempted the depot here before, a few years ago, but didn’t have much luck, so instead opted to get some more new track under my belt, taking the 17.13 to Mateszalka, diesel loco hauled and then the 19.45 from Mateszalka to Zahony arriving at 21.53. I then had a few hours wait for another train going south as the last one had left at 20.00, so it was another case of having a snooze on a station bench until one of the international trains, (the Bucharest to Vienna), arrived to take me south to Budapest, which didn’t leave until 04.05 the next day. All good fun though.

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Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 12). Saturday 6th September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I had been on Zahony railway station since 20.00 on Friday night, I waited for the Bucharest to Vienna train which was due to leave just after 04.05, fortunately it arrived just after 01.00, the train turns around at Zahony and it also stops while the carriage cleaners go aboard, so did I and I was quick to get in a compartment, put the blinds down and get some much needed sleep.

My original plan was to alight at Gyoer and try to get around the depot, they have let me around this one before, but I woke up as the train was leaving Szolnok and on passing the depot, it looked quite full, so I vowed to get back and try a visit in the next few days, I bunked this depot the last time I was there, it’s a fairly open layout.
As my train pulled into Ferencvaros however I decided to alight, it was 08.22 and a glorious morning.

Ferencvaros is the largest depot in Hungary and I have visited the depot 3 times in the past, so I was soon making my way across the large footbridge that crosses the full width of the yard and then has some steps leading down to the depot entrance, I was however turned away for the first time ever. I think Hungary are tightening up on shed visits. I returned to the railway station feeling disappointed, when as luck as it, I saw a bunch of guys in orange hi viz jackets carrying cameras, they were British, the Stars group on a shed visit, I soon asked to tag along and was given permission, how lucky was that.

A great bunch of lads Stars, so friendly and we had a fantastic shed visit, it being particularly full being a weekend. The only stipulation, by the depot managers, was not to publish any images, not event on Facebook, so out of respect for Stars and to prevent any future shed visits being turned away, I have removed all the photographs from this visit from my Facebook blog. It’s best to keep the Hungarian authorities happy, we are after all privileged to be able to visit these depots, so we don’t want to upset anyone. A big thank you though to Stars and its organisers, who allowed me to tag along, thank you.

I returned to Ferencvaros railway station and then walked out for the tram, catching it to the stadium where I caught a bus into Keleti where I was staying for the next 4 nights. The over 65s are again free to use the buses, trams and metro as non-EU members, it was stopped for a while after Brexit, indeed I was stopped on the metro and fined £17 on my last visit, but the Hungarian Authorities have since done a U-turn on this and now the over 65s are free again, just show some form of ID like a passport to prove your age.

I dropped my rucksack off at the apartment and made my way to Keleti locomotive depot. Keleti station was being renovated along with much of the track work, so lots of new faces were wondering around the railway in hi vis wear, of course I took full advantage and adorned my own hi viz jacket, put my earbuds in, head down and walked past security and down the ramp into Keleti depot, no one was around when I got down there, the sun was perfect and I got some amazing photographs of two class 86s, the class 56 and class 47, along with a Belgium class 52 and a number of locomotives in celebrity liveries, Keleti seem to have the cream of Hungarian locomotives on shed. This was the best visit I’ve ever had at Keleti; I usually get turned away at the gate and have to contend my photographs from the main road looking down on the depot.

I left the depot the same way as I entered it, only this time putting my hand up to security on the way out.
I returned to Keleti centre and took tea in a local restaurant, a Gulyasleves, followed by a visit to the Hard Rock cafe which was just a bus ride away, before returning to my apartment, my first bed since Teius in Romanian since Tuesday night, it had been a great day and someone was looking down on me, I slept well that night.

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 13). Sunday 7th September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

I was up at the leisurely time of 08.00 at my Budapest apartment, breakfast in a local café, and then I made my way to the metro for a change to the tram number 14 from memory, I was trying to follow the satnav on the tram, but lost the signal and ended up going to the end of the tram route and finishing up at a large public swimming bath complex. It being a Sunday I had to wait over an hour for a tram back, which took me to within a 10-minute walk to the museum. I arrived half an hour after the opening time of 10.00 am, so not too bad and it probably saved me queuing up judging by the numbers in there.

I was amazed at the size of the museum and the number of exhibits on display; it’s the largest railway museum I’ve been to in Europe and a credit to the Hungarians for such an excellent facility. It was great for a family day out with lots of families present and plenty of train rides both in miniature and standard gauge giving rides, there really was something for everyone and it was built in the old Budapest North locomotive depot complex with two large turntables and a very large half roundhouse.

I went into some areas which were technically out of bounds and found some additional old diesel shunters, a working steam locomotive used for tours and also a smaller depot which contained two Nohabs and three ex DSB ME 1500 series, I spent a good two hours going around the museum, I could have spent the full day there really, but I wanted to return to the city and spend some time on Nyugati railway station which had taking over the work of the closed Keleti while it was being renovate.

Budapest Nyugati was very busy and I was allowed around the stabling point, which also had some ten locos on, even on a Sunday the station was very busy and kept me occupied for the rest of the afternoon. I returned to Budapest`s Hard Rock Café for tea and later took a bus back to Keleti for my apartment, it had been a great way to spend a Sunday.

Hungarian Railway History Park - Wikipedia

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 14). Monday 8th September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

An early start from the apartment, quick breakfast and I was soon over to Budapest Nyugati for the 04.55 train to Miskoic Tiszai via Hatvan direct, a new track day, from there I boarded a train up the branch to Satoraljaujhely, returning to the junction station at Szerencs and then on the next train to Nyiregyhaza for the main line and more new track.

While I was at Nyiregyhaza, I had time to look at the Nyirvidek Light Railway, Nyiregyhaza, Hungary. The railway closed in 2009. As soon as I walked into the open yard at Nyiregyhaza security jumped out at me, he couldn't speak English but typed on his phone to delete photographs, I refused of course and walked away.

The Nyíregyháza narrow gauge system was a 760mm gauge network consisting of nearly 40km of track, which ran from Nyíregyháza to Herminatanya, where the line split, one leg carrying on to Dombrád and the other leg to Balsa. The line employed a fleet of Mk48 locomotives.

Returning to the main station at Nyíregyháza, I caught the next train back to Miskoic Tiszai, I did intend catching the next train to Hatvan for a look around the depot, but instead kept on the train, taking the same route back to Budapest Nyugati as it was becoming late, I had tea in one of the station cafes at Nyugati before catching the metro back to Keleti and my apartment. Plenty of new track though and another great day on the rails.

Narrow-gauge railways in Hungary - Wikipedia

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[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 15). Tuesday 9th September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

A more leisurely start to the day, as I was moving accommodation, but only a few doors down the road, which had a price difference of £20 and I was only spending another night in Budapest. I had to vacate my apartment by 10.00 am and couldn’t get into my new apartment until 14.30, so I was stuck carrying my rucksack around for a few hours.

I was out of my apartment for 09.00 and made my way to Budapest Deli railway station for a few hours, taking breakfast on the station. My next move was to catch a train out to Budapest Kelenfold, the main station for freight movements and I spent most of the day around the station before returning to Keleti on the metro to book in to my new apartment and drop the rucksack off. I was then back on the metro to Kelenfold again, before dropping back onto Budapest Deli station and later taking the metro back to Keleti and my new apartment for the night. It had been another great day.

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[route101]

Enjoying the reports from Hungary, Romania and Moldova. I am just back from a brief week long trip. I flew into Debrecen then took intercity MAV to Budapest. I then did the Ister night train to Bucharest followed by the night train up to Chisinau. I did see one freight service pass through. I then went to Tiraspol for the day, no trains at the station there.
I then flew back to the UK via Istanbul.

 

[shredder1]

Thank you, sounds like you had an excellent trip, I must say I regret not going to Tiraspol, did you manage to find a train to take you there or a bus?

 

[route101]

Thank you, sounds like you had an excellent trip, I must say I regret not going to Tiraspol, did you manage to find a train to take you there or a bus?

Minibus from Chisinau, which seemed pretty frequent. No passenger services seem to run to Tiraspol.

 

[shredder1]

Minibus from Chisinau, which seemed pretty frequent. No passenger services seem to run to Tiraspol.

Ah thank you, yes a strange one I didnt see any local services running anywhere?

 

[shredder1]

Moldova, Romania and Hungary, (Day 16). Wednesday 10th September 2025.

The main purpose of the trip was to take, what is probably the last Soviet train from Bucharest, Romania to Chisinau, Moldova, the last European country I had never visited, I also intended some line and shed bashing around Romania and Hungary, as I was flying into Bucharest and flying out of Budapest some 18 days later and was on a 7 day Global Interrail mobile pass.

All good things come to an end as they say, and sadly this was the last day of my trip. I left my apartment just after 07.00 made my way to Budapest Nyugati and caught the first train east to Cegled and then another train to Szolnok. I visited the depot this time and was allowed around, plenty of locos on shed plus a good selection of withdrawn locomotives around the back of the depot, I had a great visit.

From Szolnok I travelled on the direct line to Hatvan and visited the depot, not much on shed there though these days, in fact the last time I was there they had two steam locos on shed being renovated, one was a USAF S160, but no sign of them this time.
From Hatvan I caught a train back to Kobanya Kispest and then a tram to Budapest Nyugati for the rest of the day and had tea in the station. I later took the metro back to Kobanya Kispest, for the airport bus. I was on an early flight back to Manchester so decided to spend the night in the airport.

Budapest Ferenc Liszt International is a busy 24-hour airport, with flights leaving throughout the night, my Manchester flight was at 05.45 and it left on time. My stats for the last 16 days were 2,485 rail miles, or 4,000 kilometres, it had been a great trip, many thanks for reading.

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[Cowley]

I believe @shredder1 might have a European update for us…

Over to you Nick.

 

[shredder1]

I believe @shredder1 might have a European update for us…

Over to you Nick.

Thanks Nick

 

[shredder1]

Finland, (Day 1). Wednesday 25th February 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

I caught a mid-morning flight from Manchester Airport and arrived into Rovaniemi by 15.00. The new EU legislation of retina and finger print scanning made it slower than usual to get through customers, but I was soon on the Airport Express bus, via the Santa Village, to Rovaniemi Railway station. Finland doesn’t have any ticket offices at its railway stations and for night trains that require reservations, you are suppose to phone up in advance, it’s not a great system really, according to their own rail staff. At Rovaniemi a ticket man did have a small desk, specifically for the next train to Helsinki and it left at 17.52 taking me overnight to Helsinki arriving at 06.27, I tried to get through to book a reservation on the phone, but I couldn’t get through and in the end the staff member just gave me a seat free of charge, and after some tea in the restaurant car, I was soon in my reclining seat and sleeping like a baby, it had been a long day.

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[Cowley]

Good stuff. That’s a lot of miles covered as well.
Apart from the faff with the booking was it easy enough communicating with people over there?

 

[shredder1]

Good stuff. That’s a lot of miles covered as well.
Apart from the faff with the booking was it easy enough communicating with people over there?

Yes not a problem mate, they are taught English in school in Finland I believe

 

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Finland (Day 2), Thursday 26th February 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

My night train arrived into Helsinki Central at around 06.30, I had managed some sleep on the cushions, I prefer this to a sleeper berth to be honest as I can sleep anywhere and you don’t really get to see much from a berth. The weather on arrival into Helsinki however, was brutal with a heavy snow storm sweeping onto the platforms, I decided to take another train out along the eastern Russian border line to Joensuu as there was a train about to leave on an adjacent platform at 06.54 which got me into Joensuu for 11.36 and also enabled me to get some breakfast in the restaurant car on the ride over, another reason for travelling along this line was that it went through Kouvola, which I had been told had a locomotive depot at the side of the platforms and it was housing an allocation of the Russian built SR1s, which I wanted to catch up with of course. On passing the depot, it was nice to see so many SR1s on shed, and in both the newer green and older red liveries, but I continued to Joensuu for the track, returning to Kouvola later in the day.

Joensuu has a small disused half roundhouse at the side of the station, with another roundhouse set further back across the yard with around 6 or so locomotives and shunters on shed, but it was difficult to get over to. The station is also a junction for two more lines, the line west leading out to Pieksamaki, another location I wanted to visit later in the trip, as this also listed a depot. I returned on the next train back to Kouvola taking as many images as I could of the depot from the station platforms, the snow storm however was still in full swing and continued that way for the rest of the day. I booked an apartment in the town and decided to visit the depot again the next day, as there appeared to be quite a bit of action with locomotives moving on and off the depot. I was hoping the storms would have eased by the next morning, which it did. I took tea in the town and slept well in the apartment that night.

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Finland (Day 3), Friday 27th February 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

After a restful and much needed sleep at my apartment in Kouvola, I was up and out before dawn broke, as I wanted to get back down to the loco sheds as soon as possible, and I was rewarded in that a few more SR1s had moved onto the sheds in the night, the snow storm had also stopped, which helped gain a few better images.

I was catching a train directly north via Pieksamaki to Oulu at 09.47, arriving into Oulu for 16.45. It was at Oulu I realised I had a camera issue, moisture had somehow managed to get between by UV filter and lens and I tried everything to get the filter off the lens, but without any luck. I found a bike repair shop in Oulu who lent me a few tools to try to release it, but in the end the only solution was to smash the filter carefully without damaging the lens, this fortunately worked and basically saved the holiday, my images are everything to me.

My next move was to board the 18.08 to Tampere, arriving at 21.50, this placed me nicely for the 23.59 over the Arctic Circle to Kolari arriving at 10.55 the next day, this being the farthest line north in Finland, and I was treated to a pair of SR1s which took the train as far as Oulu, when it changed over to large Diesel power for the non-electrified line to Kolari. I was covering a lot of mileage on this trip, fortunately I sleep well on trains sat up, and feel fully revived afterwards.

I tried to book a reservation for this one, seat reservations cost a quarter of the fare, to do this I had to phone VR customer services, as they no longer have ticket offices in Finland, they system for booking with an interrail pass is difficult at times, anyway I eventually got through, bought a reservation and was told they would email me the details and gave me a reservation number, the email however didn’t come through, the ticket inspector couldn’t work out where my seat was from the reference number and I just had to keep moving seats as people got on with reserved seats. This was the first and last time I attempted to reserve a seat on a sleeper train, and ticket inspectors found me a spare seat on each trip, telling me I didn’t really need a reservation anyway, despite my Interrail pass saying it was required.

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Finland (Day 4), Saturday 28th February 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

The good thing about Interrail is that if you catch a train before midnight, your ticket for the day is valid until the end of the journey, so the 23.59 was a perfect train to catch to take me over the Arctic Circle to Kolari. I also met a fellow Englishman Karl who was bashing the SR1s and he gave me some very useful information while travelling in Finland on the railways. I slept well on the cushions and we arrived in Kolari at 10.55 the next morning. There is not a lot to do at Kalari, although Karl pointed me in the direction of a small supermarket, but I didn’t venture into the town. I was lucky in that it being a Saturday, there was an extra train travelling south at 15.00, which took me back down to Tampere for 06.10 the next day, so that worked out great for me. I found that Tampere was a good place to radiate from and it was a major railway junction which gave you access to most of the country`s railway routes.

The double-headed pair of SR1s, left my train at Oulu on the northbound journey, when the diesel class Dr 16 Diesel Electrics Valmet/Transtec built in the early 1990s, took over. We were taken up by 28034 while sister locomotive 28038 was already in the yard at Kolari as we arrived. The line isn’t electrified beyond Kemi on the Kolari line, hench the need to diesel traction.

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Finland (Day 5), Sunday 1st March 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

Catching the night train from Kolari, I decided to alight at Tikkurila instead of Tampere to same me hanging around the station too long at Tampere. All trains travelling north from Helsinki stop at Tikkurila and I wanted to travel on the cross-country lines to Joensuu, but this time via Pieksamaki, were a railcar takes over. The first train out to Pieksamaki however wasn’t until 09.06, which is why I decided to change at Tikkurila and then return to Tampere. I returned to Tampere from Joensuu on the 15.40 arriving back into Tampere for 20.50. It was only a short change of train at Pieksamaki and I noticed the line of SR1 locomotives on the way back, in the distance behind some trees, so I had no idea how to get out to them or if they were accessible, but I vowed to return the next day. I did try to find accommodation at Pieksamaki, but couldn’t find anything suitable. So, I decided to spend another night up and down on the trains.

From Tampere I caught the 23.09 to Kokola, officially arriving at 02.26, but it was nearly an hour late and I only just managed to catch a returning Kokkola to Tampere at 03.35 arriving at 06.54 back to Tampere.

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Finland (Day 6), Monday 2nd March 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

Leaving Kokkola for Tampere at 03.35 arriving at 06.54 back to Tampere and in time for breakfast in a local cafe. I was catching the 09.06 again, but this time I was stopping in Pieksamaki to try to search out the stored SR1 locomotives, I had seen from the train the day before. Leaving the railway station, I followed the main road out towards the locomotive depot, I walked down a large layby surrounded by trees and to try to gain a short cut through to the depot, and suddenly, as I turned a corner in the lane, I was stood in front of the sidings with all 15 locomotives in a line, no fencing and perfect for photography, it was amazing and made the holiday for me in some ways. I spent a bit of time photographing each locomotive from as many angles as possible, because this was history in the making of course. After photographing the line up, I walked towards the locomotive depot and asked permission to look around, but I was told it wasn’t possible, but did manage a few distance images as I walked away. Still the SR1s had been a great find, I was very pleased with myself.

I returned to Pieksamaki railway station and caught the next train south to revisit Kouvola again, and a few different locomotives had moved on shed since my last visit, so it was worth another visit. I then decided to travel on another branch line and noticed some of the older Sm2 Valmet electric units operating the service between Lahti and Kotkan Satama, so I caught the next train down to Kotkan, a port on the Gulf of Finland overlooking St Petersburg and Russian waters. Kotkan looked like an interesting, and run down industrial port and I would have liked to spend more time there, but needed to return on the same train. I returned from Kotkan to Lahti with a change for a train to Riihimaki followed by another train back up to Tampere, before catching a late train down to Helsinki, arriving just before midnight.

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Finland (Day 7), Tuesday 3rd March 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

I arrived into Helsinki just before midnight and hadn’t booked anywhere, instead I was just hanging around Helsinki. I spent most of the night around the railway station and in an all-night McDonalds, were I got chatting to a lovely Ukraine girl and a Finnish security guard, lovely people, who helped pass sometime before the local trains started operating at 04.18, when I tried to catch up with some sleep doing the airport circular line. and later travelling most of the local lines, out and back. A lot of the snow had gone from Helsinki, but it was still very cold. I spent some more time around central station. I had an apartment booked for the next three nights in Kamppi, which is an area of Helsinki within ten minutes walking time from Central railway station, but it was also on two tram lines and had its own Metro station, a large apartment that only cost me £128 for 3 nights, it was great and I accessed it just after 15.00. To be honest I was worn out having spent the last few nights sleeping on trains, so after checking into my apartment and grabbing something to eat, I was in bed for around 20.00 and slept through until around 06.00 the next morning.

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Finland, (Day 8), Wednesday 4th March 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

After a bed for the night and a restful sleep I was up and out of the apartment just before 06.00 and took a tram into the centre of Helsinki for breakfast, before making my way to Helsinki central station. I needed to complete two lines in the west, I caught a train to Turku Satama, which is the dock area, I then returned on the same train to Turku main station and spent some time there while waiting for my next train. This gave me chance to walk out to the old roundhouse, which is another one that has been converted into other use. I’ve noticed a few of these lovely old buildings in Finland, better than demolition of course and nice to see a little of the past. A long footbridge takes you across the lines at Turku, but there were only two locomotives in the yard, a red liveried SR1 and a Vectron, plus the SR2 passenger workings.

I border my next train for Toijala, a junction station back on the main line and new track for me. Toijala still has its half roundhouse adjacent to the railway station, which is used as a small preservation site, two small shunting locomotives stood around the turntable with a few more inside, including a steam loco, but it was all locked up, so I could only look through the windows. I had a few hours before my next train back to Helsinki, so walked into the town for some lunch. I was lucky in photting a few freights passing through the station including double-headed Vectron’s on empty log waggons. I returned to Helsinki around 18.00 having completed a triangular route radiating around Turku, and I had also had some sunshine at Turku, it had been a good day and nice to get back to my apartment for the night.

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Finland, (Day 9), Thursday 5th March 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

My plan was to visit the National Railway Museum at Hyvinkaa and also sample some of the Metro network. After leaving my apartment at around 06.30 I had breakfast in a local café and then made my way to Kamppi Metro station and caught the Metro to Helsinki Central station and took a local train to Kerava the end of my zonal ticket, as I was using a 2 day HSL ticket for zones A to D, which covers buses, Metro, trams and local trains, 20 Euros for 2 days or 11 Euros for 24 hours, so not bad value really.

From Kerva I bought a ticket to Riihimaki, a small roundhouse is located at the side of the platforms and it always seemed to have a few locos parked up as I had passed in the week. After Riihimaki I caught the next train up to Hyvinkaa, the Finnish National Railway Museum being just a short walk from the railway station. Museum entry was 8 Euros. The museum was sited in the old roundhouse and station yard and the collection was quite good, mainly steam, with a few interesting diesel locomotives. Like all museums though space is tight and it was difficult to get the photos I wanted, but we always get what we can of course, I spent a good hour or so in the museum before returning to the railway station and catching a train directly, back into Helsinki.

I then decided to catch a local service along the Turku line to Kauklahti, and then back to Espoo, and the next train to Ilmala for Pasila and the large yard and depot. I then walked to Pasila railway station and caught the next train into Helsinki and spent some time around the railway station area and approach lines. My final move of the day, was to go back down on the Metro and travel to one end of the line at Kivenlahti, before returning to Kamppi Metro station and back to my apartment, it had been a great day.

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Finland (Day 10), Friday 6th March 2026.

I was overdue a trip to Finland, and it been on my bucket list for some time, it’s a country I had only briefly visited once before, when I took the boat over from Estonia to visit Helsinki for a few days, and I had always planned to revisit and travel the country intensively, I was also interested in photting the Russian built SR1`s since Vectron`s were taking over much of the SR1 workings, especially on the long distant passenger operations. I spent 12 days, mainly Interrailing, with a few days spend with local travel tickets around Helsinki, I managed to complete all the main lines and all except two cross country lines, plus a few branch lines. In total for the 12 days, I covered just under 9,000 kilometres and travelled on 32 different trains, spending a total of 5 days continuously on trains. The highlight of the trip, for me was to catch up with 15 stored SR1 locomotives on an open siding opposite the depot at Pieksamaki.

I was moving apartments for my last night in the city of Helsinki, from Kamppi to the other side of the river, the Sky Hostel, a private room, but it was a 14.00 check in, so I caught the Metro from Kamppi and continued the other ends of the Metro network, first to Mellunmaki and then back to the junction station at Itakeskus for the final line to Vuosaari before returning to Helsinki Central. Both Metro lines to the latter two termini are above ground and the stock is ex German Berlin, U Bahn units.

I spent some time at Helsinki Central station, after being treated to the arrival of double-headed SR1s, 3080 and 3076 from the north, I later took the Airport loop and alighting at Hiekkaharju, which had a very long platform and lent itself to some excellent photography of everything coming out of Helsinki Central and the main north line and the sun was out so I spent a few hours at that location. It has an unusually long platform that doesn’t appear to be used, in fact I was approached by two you ladies who were inspectors on the railway and concerned why I was there, when they realised I was photographing trains, they said that was fine and were just concerned that I might be a suicide or something, as they said it was unusual to find someone that far down that platform.

I later returned to Helsinki Central and around 14,00 hours make my way to my new accommodation, which was great and on the eleventh floor of a high-rise building, giving an excellent view of the city and river. The Sky Hostel, at Hakaniemi, was nothing like a hostel, it only contained private rooms with shared showers and bathrooms, but I felt I had these to myself, very clean and modern accommodation with the comfiest bed of the trip, priced at £32. The weather had changed since my arrival and although plenty of snow was still around, the sun was making more regular appearances, the main river, (Vantaa River), which flows through Helsinki however, was frozen solid, with people walking across it. I didn’t really move much once I had settled in the new accommodation, although I did try some fast food in a chain restaurant nearby, the equivalent of McDonalds I suppose, Hesburger, and for junk food, it wasn’t bad. My last full day in Helsinki was good, but I would be making my way north again the next day.

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