Lahti–Loviisa railway
Lahti–Loviisa railway | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Status | Open |
Owner | Finnish government |
Locale | Päijät-Häme Uusimaa |
Termini | Lahti Port of Loviisa |
Service | |
Operator(s) | VR Group |
History | |
Opened | 2 May 1960 |
Passenger services initiated | 1 March 1961 |
Passenger services ceased | 31 May 1970 |
Technical | |
Line length | 77 km (48 mi) |
Number of tracks | 1 |
Track gauge | 1,524 mm (5 ft) |
Electrification | None |
Operating speed | 50–60 km/h (31–37 mph) |
The Lahti–Loviisa railway (Finnish: Lahti–Loviisa-rata, Swedish: Lahtis–Lovisa-banan), also called the Loviisa railway (Finnish: Loviisan rata, Swedish: Lovisabanan) is a 1,524 mm (5 ft) railway in Finland, running between the Lahti railway station and the Port of Loviisa.[1]
History[]
The predecessor of the contemporary Lahti–Loviisa railway was the private narrow-gauge railway between Loviisa and Niemi in Lahti: its construction was completed on 19 February 1900, was opened for provisional traffic on 29 August 1900 and was formally inaugurated on 23 February 1904. The railway company saw financial trouble in the post-war period, which in 1956 culminated in Rauma-Repola Oy, its final majority shareholder, selling its stake to the Finnish state, with the rest surrendering their stakes free of charge. In 1957, the state made the decision to fully nationalize the railway and convert it to the standard gauge of 1,524 mm (5 ft).[2][3]
Transport on the old narrow-gauge line was ceased on 19 April 1960, and the new railway was inaugurated on 2 May 1960. The re-initiation of passenger services followed later, on 1 March 1961. As with the privately owned railway, the operation of passenger services on the line proved unprofitable, and they were ceased on 31 May 1970. Since then, the line has only served freight transport.[1]
Overview[]
The Lahti–Loviisa railway stretches approximately 77 kilometres (48 mi) long, consists of one track for its entire length, has a top speed limit of 50–60 km/h (31–37 mph), and is unelectrified. It runs in the north–south direction, connecting the regions of Päijät-Häme and Uusimaa.[4] The line cuts through the municipalities of Orimattila, Myrskylä and Lapinjärvi — as well as Pernå and Liljendal, now both part of Loviisa — on its way to the southern terminus of the Valko harbour. Save for short stretch between Lahti and Ämmälä that was realigned by 6 kilometres (3.7 mi), the alignment of the line closely matches that of the narrow gauge line it replaced.[3]
Since 1970, the line has exclusively served freight traffic, the bulk of which consists of coal bound for the Port of Loviisa from Russia. In the past, the transport of various forest industry goods has also played a significant role in the use of the line. In the present, the stations of Lahti and the Port of Loviisa are the only ones where cargo loading and unloading activities occur: the operating points of the Orimattila and Lapinjärvi stations are still active, though they are only used for the purposes of track maintenance.[4]
A distinctive feature of the line is its abundance of level crossings: there are 115 in total, only 10 of which have automated warning systems.[4]
References[]
- ^ a b Iltanen, Jussi (2010). Radan varrella: Suomen rautatieliikennepaikat (in Finnish). Karttakeskus. ISBN 978-951-593-214-3.
- ^ Mantere, Heikki (6 August 2006). "Loviisan kapearaiteiselta ei puuttunut vaikeuksia". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish).
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b Hirvisalo, Ilmari (1962). "Rataverkko rakennuksineen ja laitteineen: Lahden–Loviisan radan muutostyö". Valtionrautatiet 1937–1962 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Finnish Rail Administration.
- ^ a b c Voutilainen, Jarkko; Peni-Nyman, Anniina; Kiiskinen, Lauri (2020). Vähäliikenteiset radat: Tilanne ja tulevaisuus 2020 (PDF). Helsinki: Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. pp. 29–36. ISBN 978-952-317-789-5.
External links[]
- Media related to Lahti–Loviisa railway at Wikimedia Commons
- Railway lines in Finland
- 5 ft gauge railways in Finland
- Railway lines opened in 1960