Passengers at Helsinki Central Railway Station on Monday, 30 June 2025. Dozens of train services were cancelled over the weekend due to an electrical fault on the main line, but the damage was repaired by midday on Sunday. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
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Finland’s national rail operator VR has confirmed that more than 10,000 passengers were affected by last weekend’s widespread train disruption, which led to the cancellation of dozens of services and left many travellers stranded.
The interruption began on Saturday afternoon when overhead electric cables collapsed onto an Intercity train at Palopuro, near Hyvinkää. The incident forced a complete suspension of traffic on the country’s main railway line.
Train services resumed gradually on Sunday after a 16-hour halt. By Monday, all operations had returned to normal, albeit with some changes to rolling stock.
“The main line damage has been repaired, and traffic is running normally,” said Toni Rinne, VR’s director of long-distance operations, on Monday.
Rinne acknowledged that customer communication during the crisis was inadequate. “We have received feedback that our messaging didn’t meet expectations,” he said. He also noted that replacement bus services failed to cover demand.
Several Sunday night trains, including those from Kolari and Kemijärvi heading south, were cancelled due to the unavailability of carriages in Lapland. Night services were restored from Monday evening.
VR is urging affected passengers to submit compensation claims. “Claims will be reviewed individually. Hotel costs and other accommodation expenses can be included,” Rinne said.
The cause of the electrical failure remains unclear. Jari Lindström, duty officer at Fintraffic’s rail control centre, said the incident is under investigation. “The structural damage at the scene is extensive. Determining the root cause will be challenging,” he said.
The fault damaged not only the eastern track where the cables fell but also the adjacent western track, an unusual occurrence. The overhead cables supply power to electric trains through roof-mounted pantographs.
Lindström outlined three possible causes: failure of cable suspension systems, malfunctioning pantographs on the train, or external physical damage such as a fallen tree. The latter is considered unlikely in this case. No signs of vandalism have been detected.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
