Lahti–Loviisa railway
Lahti–Loviisa railway | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Status | Open |
Owner | Finnish government |
Locale | Päijät-Häme Uusimaa |
Termini | |
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
The rebuilding of the Loviisa line was brought back up in the 1950s upon the stabilizing of societal and economic conditions.[4] 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]
The broad-gauge line saw use not only for freight to and from the Valko harbour, but also that of the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant upon its commission. This prompted the initiation of the planning of a thorough renovation of the line in the 1980s. A committee headed by Sigurd Slätis, the head of the town of Loviisa, made appeals to the Finnish state for its backing in the project. The renovation was initiated in 1983, with the authorities of Loviisa responsible for the work in its harbour and the state for that on the main line. The project was completed in the autumn of 1986.[5]
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
Since 1970, the line has exclusively served freight traffic, the bulk of which consists of
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.[6]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-951-593-214-3.
- ^ a b Mantere, Heikki (6 August 2006). "Loviisan kapearaiteiselta ei puuttunut vaikeuksia". Etelä-Suomen Sanomat (in Finnish).
- ^ a b c Hirvisalo, Ilmari (1962). "Rataverkko rakennuksineen ja laitteineen: Lahden–Loviisan radan muutostyö". Valtionrautatiet 1937–1962 (in Finnish). Helsinki: Finnish Rail Administration.
- ^ ISBN 951-849-424-X.
- ISBN 951-9114-51-3.
- ^ ISBN 978-952-317-789-5.
External links
- Media related to Lahti–Loviisa railway at Wikimedia Commons