History
Local train services have existed since the 1880s in the Helsinki region. At first local train service was offered on the Main Line up to Rekola railway station.
The Coastal Line was finished in 1903. This line was built mostly with commuter traffic in mind, so it immediately started creating housing developments near stations.
During the steam era local traffic was handled with steam locomotives like Pr1 and wooden-bodied carriages with extra wide doors for rapid loading of passengers. Amount of trips increased vastly after Finland gained independence in 1917, with 4 million trips in 1920 and 9 million in 1924. Depression in 1930s hit the commuter travelling and there was only 3 million trips at lowest. By 1939 amount of trips had risen to 4 million.
During the short diesel era from the end of the 1950s to the beginning of the 1970s, commuter services used DMUs of classes Dm7, Dm8 and Dm9.
The tracks were not upgraded significantly during steam or diesel eras. Both Main Line and beginning of Coastal Line up to Kirkkonummi had only dual tracks to accommodate long-distance, freight and commuter trains. The Coastal Line is still only single track between Kirkkonummi and Turku.
Current operation started forming in 1969 when first stretch was electrified. Route designation letters were introduced on May 28, 1972. In the same year then existing commuter routes were completely electrified and a third track was added between Helsinki and Tikkurila. The third track was extended to Kerava in 1981.
The railway branch from Huopalahti to Martinlaakso, opened in 1975 and later extended to Vantaankoski, was built exclusively for commuter trains, being first such line in Finland.
Currently on the Helsinki–Leppävaara and Helsinki–Kerava track sections, the commuter services use rails parallel to, but separate from those used by long-distance trains, following the S-Bahn principle. The fourth track, which enabled separate "city track traffic", was ready up to Tikkurila in 1996 and to Kerava in 2004. On the Coastal Line the section between Pasila and Leppävaara was upgraded directly from dual track to four tracks in 2001.
The railway branch from Kerava to Lahti, opened in 2006, was built as a shortcut for long-distance services, and also for the use of the new commuter service Z.
Read more about this topic: VR Commuter Rail
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