Allegro (train)

{{Short description|High-speed rail service in Finland and Russia}}

{{Infobox rail service

|box_width=300px

|name=Allegro

|color=4169E1

|logo=

|logo_width=

|image=11-07-31-helsinki-by-RalfR-054.jpg

|image_width=300px

|caption=The train at Helsinki Central Station

|type=High-speed rail

|status=Ceased operation

|locale=Russia–Finland

|predecessor=Sibelius and Repin

|first=12 December 2010

|last=27 March 2022

|successor=

|operator=Karelian Trains (joint venture between VR and RZD)

|formeroperator=

|ridership=

|start=Helsinki Central Station, Helsinki, Finland

|stops=8

|end=Finland Station, Saint Petersburg, Russia

|distance={{cvt|407|km}}

|journeytime=3 h 27 min

|frequency=4 rounds daily (from 29 May 2011)

|trainnumber=

|line_used=Riihimäki–Saint Petersburg
Kerava–Lahti
Helsinki–Riihimäki

|class=Business and Economy

|access=

|seating=341 seats

|sleeping=

|autorack=

|catering=

|observation=

|entertainment=

|baggage=

|otherfacilities=

|stock=Karelian Trains Class Sm6

|gauge=Russian track:
{{Track gauge|1520mm|allk=on}}
Finnish track:
{{Track gauge|1524mm|lk=on}}

|el=

|speed={{cvt|220|kph|abbr=on|round=10}}

|owners=Russian Railways
VR Group

|routenumber=

|map=

|map_state=

|trainclass=

}}

Allegro was the brand name of a now defunct high-speed train service, owned by Karelian Trains as a joint venture between the Finnish VR Group and the Russian railway company Russian Railways and operated by Class Sm6 trains, between Helsinki, Finland, and St. Petersburg, Russia from 2010 to 2022.

The train stopped at eight stations, of which six were in Finland and two in Russia. The trip from Helsinki to St. Petersburg took three and a half hours and the maximum speed of the train was 220 kilometres per hour. Because of the sanctions against Russia, the train services were stopped, until the VR Group announced on 14 December 2023 that it would acquire the entire rolling stock of Allegro to itself from Russian Railways after Russian Railways had neglected its duty towards Karelian Trains. The rolling stock of Allegro will be taken into use in domestic long-distance rail traffic in Finland during 2025.[https://www.vrgroup.fi/fi/vrgroup/uutiset/allegro-junat-kayttoon-vrn-kotimaan-kaukoliikenteeseen-vuodesta-2025/ Allegro-junat käyttöön VR:n kotimaan kaukoliikenteeseen vuodesta 2025], VR Group 14 December 2023. Accessed on 14 December 2023.

During its normal service, Allegro was used for about half a million rail journeys per year. The rolling stock consists of four units of seven carriages each, which were manufactured by the Alstom company in Italy.

Traffic

File:Allegro train ticket.JPG

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the subsequent international sanctions against Russia, services on the Allegro trains were stopped for the time being. The last services so far were on 27 March 2022. According to the state of Finland, traffic on the Allegro trains no longer served a purpose.Rinne, Tittamari; Pitkäranta, Pilvi: [https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12375408 Helsingin ja Pietarin välisen Allegro-junan liikennöinti keskeytetään maanantaina – Tuppurainen: ”Surullinen kuva tästä ajasta”], Yleisradio 25 March 2022. Accessed on 27 March 2022. Allegro was the last direct rail connection between Russia and the European Union.Nilsen, Thomas: [https://thebarentsobserver.com/en/travel/2022/03/end-comes-last-russia-europe-rail-link End comes to last Russia-Europe rail link], The Barents Observer 25 March 2022. Accessed on 27 March 2022.

The Allegro service operated between the Helsinki Central railway station in Finland and the Finland Station in St. Petersburg in Russia.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110529075828/http://www.vr.fi/fi/index/ulkomaat/venaja/allegro/Aikataulut.html Aikataulut], VR Group 29 May 2011. Accessed on 27 March 2022. The trains stopped at Pasila, Tikkurila, Lahti, Kouvola, Vainikkala and Vyborg.[https://web.archive.org/web/20220309002715/https://www.vr.fi/junalla-venajalle/allegro Allegro-junalla Pietariin], VR Group. Accessed on 27 March 2022. The trains skipped Pasila railway station from 2016 to 2020, shortening the travel time by 9 minutes.[https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/nyt-tarkkana-juna-aikatauluihin-tulosssa-suuria-muutoksia/5810006 Nyt tarkkana: Juna-aikatauluihin tulossa suuria muutoksia], MTV3 26 March 2016. Accessed on 27 March 2022.[http://resiinalehti.fi/artikkeli/123 Tasoristeys 1/2020], Resiina magazine. Accessed on 27 March 2022. In 2018 the travel time was 3 hours and 27 minutes.Paananen, Arja: [https://www.is.fi/matkat/art-2000005647192.html Nahkapenkit, uudet värit, ravintolaan sohvaryhmiä: Allegro-junat mukavuusremonttiin – ensimmäinen valmistuu MM-kisaturisteille], Ilta-Sanomat 19 April 2018. Accessed on 27 March 2022. The final intent was to cut the travel time down to three hours.[https://www.alstom.com/press-releases-news/2010/10/Helsinki-Saint-Petersburg-Allegro-high-speed-Pendolino-train-presented-at-Finland-station-in-Saint-Petersburg-20101008 Helsinki-Saint-Petersburg Allegro, high speed Pendolino train, presented at Finland station in Saint-Petersburg], Alstom 8 October 2010. Accessed on 27 March 2022. Border inspections on the Allegro were performed while the train was on the move, as its passengers remained seated. Passengers also had the possibility for currency exchange on board the train.Stolp, Jula: [https://helsinkipietari150.vayla.fi/allegro-matkamuistoissamme-mukana-jo-kymmenen-vuotta/ Allegro matkamuistoissamme mukana jo kymmenen vuotta]. Accessed on 27 March 2022. The Allegro had 342 seats and two seats for disabled people.{{Cite journal|title=2000-luvun tekniikalla kohti Pietaria |language=fi |trans-title=Towards St. Petersburg with 21st century technology |url=http://www.rautatietekniikka.fi/rautatietekniikka/Rautatietekniikka-2-2010.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717030713/http://www.rautatietekniikka.fi/rautatietekniikka/Rautatietekniikka-2-2010.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-17 |journal=Rautatietekniikka |publisher=Rautatiealan Teknisten Liitto RTL ry |issue=2 |year=2010 |volume=22 |pages=10–12 |issn=1237-1513 }}

History

The service started on 12 December 2010.{{cite news |url= http://www.railwaygazette.com/nc/news/single-view/view/allegro-launch-cuts-helsinki-st-petersburg-journey-times.html |title= Allegro launch cuts Helsinki – St Petersburg journey times |date=13 December 2010 |work=Railway Gazette International |location =London}}{{Cite web |title= Allegro |url= http://www.vr.fi/en/index/ulkomaat/venaja/allegro.html |publisher= VR |access-date= 7 September 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110511191635/http://www.vr.fi/en/index/ulkomaat/venaja/allegro.html |archive-date= 2011-05-11 |url-status= dead }} The aim was to reduce travel time between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg: before Allegro, the journey time was 5½ hours; it became 3 hours and 27 minutes{{cite web|url=http://www.vr.fi/en/index/ulkomaat/venaja/palvelut_junissa/allegro/palvelut_junassa_5.html |title=Timetables |publisher=VR Group |access-date=3 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130003952/http://www.vr.fi/en/index/ulkomaat/venaja/palvelut_junissa/allegro/palvelut_junassa_5.html |archive-date=2010-11-30 }} over a journey of {{convert|407|km|abbr=on}} and there were plans to bring it down to 3 hours.{{Cite web

|title = News

|url = http://www.kareliantrains.fi/en/index/news.html

|publisher = Karelian Trains

|access-date = 17 April 2010

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090328135658/http://www.kareliantrains.fi/en/index/news.html

|archive-date = 2009-03-28

|url-status = dead

}} The name Allegro is a musical term for a quick tempo, thereby suggesting "high speed". On board the inaugural service were Finnish president Tarja Halonen and Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin.{{cite news |url= http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Putin+joins+Halonen+on+first+run+of+high-speed+iAllegroi+train+from+Helsinki+to+St+Petersburg/1135262346775 |title= Putin joins Halonen on first run of high-speed Allegro train from Helsinki to St. Petersburg |work= Helsingin Sanomat International edition |location= Helsinki |date= December 2010 |access-date= 17 December 2010 |archive-date= 17 December 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101217213840/http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Putin+joins+Halonen+on+first+run+of+high-speed+iAllegroi+train+from+Helsinki+to+St+Petersburg/1135262346775 |url-status= dead }}

The service was suspended between 18 March 2020 and 11 December 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web | url=http://resiinalehti.fi/artikkeli/128 | title=Resiina - Artikkeli }} Service resumed with restrictions on 12 December 2021.{{cite web | url=https://yle.fi/news/3-12226835 | title=Few passengers as rail service between Finland and Russia resumes | date=12 December 2021 }}

During the 2022 Russian financial crisis, in the aftermath of international sanctions placed on Russian companies following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Allegro train became a primary means for people to leave Russia.{{Cite news |last=Anderson |first=Christina |date=2022-03-02 |title=High-speed trains departing Russia for Finland are packed. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/02/world/europe/trains-russia-finland.html |access-date=2022-03-03 |issn=0362-4331}} As European airspace had been closed to Russian planes, and Russian airspace was closed to European planes, the train was the only passenger connection between Russia and the European Union. EU authorities asked VR to keep this train running so that those wishing to leave Russia could do so (though as part of COVID-19 restrictions, only Finnish and Russian citizens were allowed to use the train, and it ran only twice a day at half-capacity, of 327 passengers; but operators worked to lift those restrictions in order to allow the evacuation of other nationals).{{Cite web |last=Vanttinen |first=Pekka |date=2022-03-03 |title=St Petersburg-Helsinki train only direct link to Russia |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/st-petersburg-helsinki-train-only-direct-link-to-russia/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=www.euractiv.com |language=en-GB}} The service was suspended on 27 March 2022 due to the aforementioned sanctions.{{Cite web|url= https://yle.fi/news/3-12375838|title= VR suspends train travel between Finland and Russia|work=Yle.fi|date= 25 March 2022}}

In December 2023, it was announced that VR Group had assumed the financial obligations of the joint stock company that used to run Allegro since it could no longer meet them itself. VR Group plans to reuse the rolling stock in domestic operations.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vrgroup.fi/en/vrgroup/news/allegro-trains-to-be-deployed-in-vr-s-domestic-long-distance-traffic-from-2025-141220230921/|title=Allegro trains to be deployed in VR's domestic long-distance traffic from 2025|language=en|date=2023-12-14|website=vrgroup.fi}}

Route

Allegro connected the following stations:[http://www.vr.fi/en/index/ulkomaat/venaja/allegro/palvelut_junassa_5.html Timetables – VR] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110620073637/http://www.vr.fi/en/index/ulkomaat/venaja/allegro/palvelut_junassa_5.html |date=June 20, 2011 }}

The trains also stopped previously in Pasila like every other passenger train from and to Helsinki, but this stop was discontinued between 27 March 2016 and 11 December 2021, when the stop in Pasila was revived.{{Cite web | url=https://www.vr.fi/en/trains-to-russia/allegro | title=Allegro - VR }}

Vainikkala (on the Finnish side of the border) and Vyborg are special stations: on trains bound for Finland, passengers are not allowed to leave the train at Vyborg, as the train only stops to pick up passengers; and on trains bound for Russia, passengers are not allowed to leave the train at Vainikkala, for the same reason.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

=Border controls=

On board the train, each passenger was visited by Finnish Border Guard and customs officers, as well as their Russian counterparts. Finnish border control took place while the train was travelling between Kouvola and Vainikkala, while Russian border control took place while the train was travelling between Vyborg and St Petersburg. If boarding/exiting at Vainikkala or Vyborg, the checks took place inside these stations.

Vehicles

The Allegro service was operated using Class Sm6 electric multiple unit trainsets built by Alstom, with a top speed of {{convert|220|km/h|abbr=on}}. VR has announced that they have seized full control of the trains and would begin using them in domestic services during 2025.{{Cite web |date=2023-12-14 |title=Allegro trains to be deployed in VR's domestic long-distance traffic from 2025 |url=https://www.vrgroup.fi/en/vrgroup/news/allegro-trains-to-be-deployed-in-vr-s-domestic-long-distance-traffic-from-2025-141220230921/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=VR Group |language=en}}

The Sm6 appeared externally similar to VR's earlier Sm3 Pendolino series, but was based on the fourth generation{{cite journal |last1= Salo |first1= Sakari K |year= 2011 |title= Helsingin–Pietarin liikenteen kehityksestä allegro |journal= Resiina |number= 1|pages= 24–36|publisher= Museorautatieyhdistys ry, Suomen Rautatiehistoriallinen Seura ry|issn= 0356-0600| language = fi}} 'Pendolino Nuovo' or 'New Pendolino' designs and its construction differed from the Sm3 in many ways.{{Cite web

|title=Allegro high speed Pendolino train presented at Finland station in Saint Petersburg

|url=http://www.alstom.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=8589940640

|publisher=Alstom

|date=7 October 2010

|access-date=12 February 2011

|url-status=dead

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707120102/http://www.alstom.com/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=8589940640

|archive-date=7 July 2011

}}

On board services

Food: there is a restaurant coach, which serves food during the whole journey, except during customs inspection.
Currency exchange: there is an agent walking constantly back and forth on the train offering currency exchange services.
Children's area: there is an area where small children can play.

File:Sm6 Allegro bistro.JPG|Restaurant coach (before refurbishment)

File:Sm6 Allegro leikkipaikka.JPG|Children's area (before refurbishment)

References

External links

{{commonscat-inline|Allegro (train)}}
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95Q5Ls1pnmk Footage of a stop at Kerava station during a test run on 7 April 2010]
[http://www.kareliantrains.fi/en/ Oy Karelian Trains Ltd]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120213065802/http://pass.rzd.ru/isvp/public/pass?STRUCTURE_ID=5184 Скоростной поезд "Аллегро" (Russian)]
[https://www.vr.fi/en/trains-to-russia/allegro VR (Official Finnish Railways) website]

Category:Railway services introduced in 2010

Category:Named passenger trains of Finland