On Thursday, State Railways VR plans to run about 80 percent of long-distance train services.
Some less-travelled routes will have reduced schedules or be replaced by busses, though. More information about cancelled or replaced services can be found on VR's website.
Train traffic on the busiest routes will run normally on Thursday. In addition, night trains, rail buses and all Helsinki Regional Transport (HSL) and VR commuter services (R, G, Z, O, M, H, T and D trains) will operate according to normal schedules.
However HSL said that the metro, trams, light rail and most buses will not run on Thursday due to the nationwide political strike in protest against the government’s planned legislation. Commuter trains and the ferries to Suomenlinna island and Kruunuvuorenranta in Laajasalo will operate normally.
Track damage repaired
VR noticed the track damage near Kouvola, southeast Finland, late Monday and cancelled all Tuesday's long-distance train services for safety reasons.
The track damage caused extensive damage to VR's rolling stock, as more than 70 percent of the rolling stock had run through the damaged track segment.
The state rail operator said on Wednesday evening that the track damage had been repaired and that the track was safe to operate.
“We will increase shifts as the train stock is released from traffic inspection. Commuter traffic will run normally already on Thursday, and we aim for Friday's ski holiday traffic to run as normally as possible,” VR's director of long-distance traffic, Piia Tyynilä, said in a press release. Friday will be a busy travel day as most schools in southern Finland are closed 17-25 February.
VR said it would extend the validity period of long-distance season tickets and series tickets by one day. This requires no action on the part of ticket holders.
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