As part of Finnish state railways VR’s efforts to compete with domestic air traffic, it is reintroducing its former Allegro trains under the name Pendolino Plus.
The trains previously operated between Helsinki and St Petersburg, Russia.
Now refurbished, the trains will start service between Helsinki and Turku at the beginning of November. The new trains will run during commuting hours and in the evenings, said Marika Schugk, VR's Director of Customer Experience and Service Development, told Yle.
They will also start running north to Oulu in mid-December. That route will also aim to entice travellers away from air traffic, Schugk said. For example, there will be an early-morning departure from Oulu, arriving in Helsinki around 10am.
Cushier seats and service
Four new trains will enter service, with over 340 seats each.
Basic tickets for Pendolino Plus trains will be priced the same as other trains, varying based on demand and time of day. Meanwhile there will be two new extra comfort classes at slightly higher fares, said Schugk.
These more upscale Ekstra Calm and Ekstra Plus classes will offer added amenities and comfort, she added. These include wider leather seats and in-seat meal and drink service. Unlike regular Pendolinos, each new train will also have a children's playroom.
"Billion-euro investment"
VR has not disclosed how much it has spent to convert the Allegro trains, but Schugk said the overhaul is part of a "billion-euro investment" that began in 2016 and will continue until the early 2030s. That also includes new night and commuter trains and technical upgrades to existing trains, she explained.
VR cancelled Allegro train services between Helsinki and St Petersburg in March 2022 after Russia launched its full-scale assault on Ukraine. The suspension was part of sanctions against Moscow. Passenger numbers had already been low since the beginning of the Covid pandemic two years earlier.
The last Allegro service from Russia arrived in Finland in late March 2022. Since then, the four trains stood unused at a depot. They were previously owned as a joint venture between VR and Russian Railways, but have been fully owned by VR since 2023.
