Finland - electric multiple units
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VR class Sm4 electric multiple unit rushes
by the Tikkurila station causing a cloud of flying snow. The Sm4s were made by CAF, Fiat Ferroviaria and Alstom in 1998-2005.
Picture 13.2.2012 by Ilkka Siissalo
Sm3 Pendolino series test drive unit at Salo station in the
summer of 1995. Built by Fiat Ferroviaria, Italy and Transtech, Finland.
Photo by VR.
Sm3 Pendolino series train's driver's cabinet.
Photo by VR. Uploaded Feb 16, 1998
Sm3 Pendolino running somewhere between Helsinki and Turku.
Photo by VR. Uploaded Feb 16, 1998
Sm3 Pendolino posing at a railway yard as it was when they were new.
Photo by VR. Uploaded Feb 16, 1998
Sm3 Pendolino in its current green and white livery in a night time shot at Tikkurila station 13.2.2012.
Photo by Ilkka Siissalo.
Sm4 electric commuter train in its original livery. These Fiat / Alstom / CAF built trains are often referred to in Finland
by the nickname "pupu" or rabbit. Photo at Kerava station 29.7.2006 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Many of VR's trains actually look much worse in the new green and white colours than before, but in the case of the
class Sm4 "Pupu" the change of color wasn't too bad. But one issue remains: People are always saying that trains should be
painted so that it is easy to see an approaching train. Is it wise to paint a train green and white while the wintertime
landscape color is also green and white?
Picture from Purola station 30.1.2011 by Ilkka Siissalo.
The latest electric commuter trains in Finland are of the class Sm5 "Flirt" trains built by Stadler in Switzerland.
Here are two units of the first series showing the original Junakalusto Oy / HSL grey-blue-green livery.
Stadler is in 2016-17 delivering a third series of these trains and they will all have a new light grey and violet
livery.
Picture by Ilkka Siissalo at Tikkurila station 13.2.2012.
One of the Sm5 Stadler Flirt trains in full speed near Viinikkala on the Helsinki airport ring rail line.
Photo 30.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
The customer HSL, Helsinki metropolitan area traffic authority, has made a decision that in future all local commuter
trains around Helsinki should be violet in colour. VR/Junakalusto Oy is currently in 2016 receiving a third series of Sm5 Flirt
trains from Stadler and these new trains are being delivered already in violet and light grey. Photo of
one of these new trains in full speed near Viinikkala in the city of Vantaa 30.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Another view of the violet and grey Sm5 near Viinikkala, Vantaa. Picture 30.5.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
One of the new violet and grey Flirts of class Sm5 at Helsinki central station 22.8.2016. Picture by Ilkka Siissalo.
Sm2 series unit 6276 electric commuter train at Helsinki station
in the winter of 1995. This is (almost) the original livery of the Sm2s (more yellow color was later added to the front).
Photo by Kimmo Ketolainen. These trains are all out of service by now.
Uploaded Feb 16, 1998
This is how one of the last remaining class Sm1 trains used to look like in 2016. Over the years they lost their front doors. Also
there was in the beginning right behind the driver's cab a small compartment for bicycles and cargo. Those were later removed.
In 2016 when this picture was taken the Sm1s were already badly corroded and outdated and were being scrapped one by one. The last ones
were in commercial use in April 2016. A "last minute" picture at Helsinki central station 16.3.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo. All these trains
were taken out of service less than a month after this picture was taken.
A class Sm2 EMU at Helsinki central station in the livery that these trains carried for so long. It had already added extra
yellow color at the front, but otherwise it was still as it was when it was new. The class Sm2 was very similar to Sm1, but whereas
Sm1 was built of steel, most of Sm2's bodyshell was made of aluminium. The easiest way to distinguish these two classes is that
the sides of Sm1 trains are corrugated, but those of the Sm2 are smooth. Both classes are out of service by now.
Photo at Helsinki central station 15.8.2002 by Ilkka Siissalo.
A class Sm2 EMU at Jokela station 17.1.2010. This is how most of the Sm2s looked like towards the end of their service life.
All of the Sm1 and Sm2 trains were by now taken out of service, some being scrapped and some stored. They were replaced by modern
Stadler Flirt trains of class Sm5. Photo in Jokela by Ilkka Siissalo.
Two class Sm2 units forming a train with the service identification letter V. There is no such a thing like a train line V. V stands for
"Virkajuna", that is, a train for VR's internal use for their own personnel. That also explains why they were using the oldest,
lousiest and least important trains possible. All these trains are taken out of service by now. Picture at Helsinki central station
22.8.2016 by Ilkka Siissalo.
Nowadays VR of Finland is painting green almost everything, but only one of the old class Sm2 electric motor units was ever painted
green and white before almost all of them were taken out of use. This was the one.
Photo from Huopalahti station in
Helsinki 22.7.2016 by Miko Rautiainen.
The one and only green and white Sm2 together with an Sm4 "Pupu" with ugly advertisement tapings at Lahti station 31.7.2017. Picture
by Miska Törö.
After VR withdrew all the Sm1 and most of the Sm2 units from service, most were scrapped immediately, but a number of the best ones have been
stored at Joensuu station in eastern Finland for possible future use. Many of them are unfortunately right now already suffering
from extremely ugly graffities. Here one Sm2 (smooth walls, on the left) and one Sm1 (side walls corrugated; on the right) are waiting for their fate
in Joensuu. Picture 26.6.2017 by Ilkka Siissalo.
In 2019 some old Sm2 units have been reactivated. This one was in service from Tampere to Riihimäki early on 20.3.2019 when Kimmo Pyrhönen
took this photo.