Railways Finland

– Traveler;
– Photographer;
– Computer network specialist;
– Candidate of Biological Sciences.

Punched by the study of high-mountain ecosystems, travel photography and human behavior in extreme environmental conditions.

Finnish Railway Policy – 4 millimeters wider as we. The same standard that was in the Russian Empire. And for the sake of these millimeters compositions, fortunately, is not required to change. I must say, Finns, unlike most other self-sufficient peoples to the Russian page of their history include quite adequate. An example of this may be monuments to our autocracy, which is still supported in excellent condition. Literature in Russian – not at all. Agree, much more pleasant to read the city guide in Russian. Especially if you consider that the translation is competent and meaningful. Confess, this is the first foreign country, where the inscriptions in Russian did not cause me attacks of wild laughter. Lyapi, of course, come across, but they are so rare and invisible that they are not mentioned.

In front of the Government House in Helsinki is Stella.
With something-there at the top. Close and guess what it is.

But back to the railways. Despite almost one width of the rut, the tension in the road network is different. And therefore the border crossing occurs through an intermediate locomotive that can work on both networks. Yes, and the hitch of cars from Finns – Screw. That we had until 1935. And here is Hooray: The border is passed. Customs officers, referees and changed the train. Outside the window – neat columns surrounded by no less neatly laid crushed. It’s time to relax. But something interferes. As if there is no something. And there is no familiar "Tychim-Tyim, Tyim-Pooym".

The car is the same, the rails are the same, and the knock, almost no. Is that easy creaking on arrows. And, something tells me that the matter is not only in European accuracy.
The answer was revealed in Pendolino – train, which serves as an electric train with a cruising speed of 200km / h. It is on it that we got from Tampere in Helsinki for an hour and a half. At this speed on our "Putyimes" will come only in the nearest ditch.

Train Pendolino.

The speed is decent to already put on the ears. Because the doors in the wagons are closed hermetically. Ordinary seating. But. There are toilets, luggage sites, animal space and a restaurant car. In our train, I can not even imagine.

Well, that’s why for high-speed trains from Moscow to Peter is going to build a separate track, and Finns, for a long time, use the existing canvas, simply subside? It is unlikely that we do not have enough brains. Rather, we just laziness and hunting, once again, wash a bunch of money. Mentality, however.

However, there are enough unusual on cheap Finnish trains. For example, if you expect to find a conductor in it or a normal compartment for four seats, then count in vain.

No conductors, tickets checks the conductor. Provided that he will find you, of course. The desired train is visiting myself – even if you declare, I do not understand in Finnish. Station where you also look like yourself – no one knocks on the door. Oriented exclusively in time, which, despite all punctuality, is not respected. And very confuses the presence of two different tablets at each station. One is its name, and the second, as it turned out … its name. It did not immediately come out that it was just inscriptions in two languages: on Finnish and Swedish, who is the second state language of Finland.

Carnet car. The first shelf is below the frame.

Each coupe is a washbasin, mini-buffet with drinking water plates and paper cups and three shelves located over the other. Feedhes. Wide, you can’t say anything, but even a child will not even sit on the bottom shelf. But the latter didn’t even like it. We, however, smart – the middle shelf lifted and joyfully snapped, providing to the wall. And later it turned out that omitting the shelf is independently impossible – a special key is required. Well, of course, the one who owns this key. Jogging on the night train with empty cars in search of the keysticker – a very joyful occupation. Bodriti, do you know. Ackless Flying Dutchman Railways. The keysticker was found in the restaurant car, by the form of which it turned out that in the train, the same, someone else rides, besides us. Otherwise, as the same lost souls.

Separate theme – Tax Free design in trains. Very comfortably. You need a magic phrase (Tax Free, Please), passport and a signature under a paper. In the train, a special person goes before the border, which distributes money for checks. Pre-checking the integrity of the packages and the correspondence of the numbers groans on them, of course. The number of money returned you can calculate in advance – this is indicated on the checks FREE checks.

Arriving in Finland on Week-end (and, as a rule, it turns out) you are working on the purchase of goods (if you, in general, you need) on the first day. Do not leave this process for later! Because in all Finland, whether it is a small rovaniemi, the third size of the Tampere or the capital of Helsinki – Everywhere Sunday is a day off. And this means that in addition to the grocery stores, cafes and some museums do not work. Absolutely. Neither a small boutique in the doorway nor a huge Stockmann or Sokos. It does not fit in the head of the Russian man, but you just need to accept.

On Saturday, by the way, a little better: stores work somewhere from 10 to 14. Or from 12 to 16. And for a minute longer.

And now the picture: We, loaded by the same thing to be lazy with all sorts of packages that can not even open, are going to walk around the city and, in the future, go still screame-where. Clear thing that luggage storage is the solution of all problems. Yes. But, after you figure it out with another problem – the chamber of storage itself.

Here is such a train behind the number 1147
As a monument not far from the station in Rovaniemi.

Cameras of the chambers of two types: more for 3 euro / day and smaller – for 2. But. Unlike Soviet automatic storage chambers (and hand cameras in Finland, I did not see) Here you do not need to build and memorize the number of code – each camera has the key to turn after the money threw into a slot. After the day, the countdown of your debts on the dial. You can open the chamber by inserting the key and paying all the debts. Acknowledge, I do not know what is better: remember the combination of numbers or remember where it was crushed. But, in general, the European storage chamber system must be recognized very convenient. In one small exception. In small cities, where even smaller railway stakes are, the storage cameras require a coin in 2 euros. It is a two-time, and not two one or four fifty cents. And it is useless to hope to exchange money: cash registers can be closed or may not be at all. In the latter case, by the way, you, in general, do not buy a train ticket. You just sit down for a train without a ticket. Buy it from the checking conductor. If he finds you, of course. I just do not understand: And if there are no places in the train?

I must say, people wandering with trifles in her hand, in search of a coin in 2 euros from passersby – enough to remember this. And in me there was a sense of deep satisfaction when, after another purchase / gatherings, a coin in 2 euros came across in the cafe for rent: if I don’t use myself, so others come in handy.