shinkansen1966
Member
Last week, I went on the Allegro high speed tilting train from St Petersburg (Finlyandsky railway station) to Helsinki. This is a journey of approximately 430 km and takes 3 hours 36 mins. The new Allegro service, using Pendelino tilting trains was launched in December 2010 and has reduced the journey by approximately 90 mins on the previous locomotive hauled service. The journey time reductions have also been achieved by streamlined immigrations and customs procedures, no longer changing locomotives at the border and track upgrade.
More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegro_(train)
After spending a few days in Russia, rather than fly out of St Petersburg and back to London, I thought it would be interesting to take the train out of Russia. I booked a ticket for the Allegro train online at Finnish state railways (VR) www.vr.fi . It wasnt cheap: 86 for a one way ticket even though the ticket was booked several weeks beforehand. I think you can get a cheaper 39 one way fare if you travel on the first train of the day. You need to provide your passport number when booking online. You cant choose a seat. The ticket comes as an email.
I was interested in taking this service for several reasons.
The line has historical importance: In April 1917, Lenin smuggled himself into St Petersburg from Helsinki on this very line. Indeed, the St Petersburg (Finlylandsky terminus) is on Lenin Square and theres a statue of Lenin too.
Customs and immigration checks are conducted while the train is on the move. I was wondering how this would work in practice on train travelling from Russia to a Schengen zone country. Every passenger on the train has a visa: either Europeans leaving Russian or Russians entering Schengen.
Much of the route has been upgraded and I was wondering what line speed would be like and the use of the tilt mechanism.
For the 15:25 departure from St Petersburg (Finlylandsky station), I arrived at 15:10. I wish Id arrived earlier: there wasnt quite enough to enjoy the full splendour of Lenin Square and the statue of Lenin adopting Peace, bread, land pose. Even though you can see the distinctive Allegro train beyond the departure board, an English notice directs you to a poorly marked entrance down a side street specifically for this international train. Once you go through this entrance, you put your bags through a x-ray machine and walk into the platform to train. No ticket check, no passport check. The Allegro platform is clearly segregated from the rest of the station. As you board the train, ticket and passport are checked by the conductor. It appeared that all the staff where from VR.
The train left spot on time at 15:25.
As soon as you take your seat, announcements and LED displays remind you that you are in a customs control zone until Vyburg. Vyburg is an hour down the line and the last and only other station calling point in Russia. In practice, customs control zone, means everyone remain in their seats until the Russian have completed their on board inspection. First, theres passport inspection. The immigration official open the tray table at your seat, puts down what is certainly the passenger list for the coach, checks off your name, retains your immigration card, swipes and then stamps your passport. Next there customs with quick visual inspection of luggage on the racks with each passenger asked about their luggage, contents, medicine and any money.
For the Russian part of the trip, the speed was mostly 200 km/h as we raced through a procession of commuter stations with local trains parked up in passing loops and sidings. After, its a mixture of forest and open countryside of the Leningrad Oblast. I wanted to step on the platform at Vyborg but by carriage doors remained shut. After Vyborg, I visited the restaurant car just for a visit. Using GPS, I worked out when we would approach the border. I started to film but was asked to leave the restaurant in readiness for Finnish customs and immigration control.
The train crossed the border at around 30 km/h on a single track. The border was clearing in the forest, pre-empted with warning signs and sentry post with a guard. Im curious how the border is monitored as theres no fence.
A few moments later we stopped at Vainikkala, the first Finnish station. Two Finnish immigration and at least four customs officers boarded the train. Between Vainikkala and Kouvola, the immigration officers checked all passports. Customs followed with a visual inspection of racks and some passengers asked more questions.
On the Finnish side, I became aware of the tilt, so I wonder if its not used on the Russian side. After much single track between Vybourg and Lahti, for the last 45 minutes of the run into Helsinki the train use a new high speed alignment travelling at 220km/h and a quadruple track upgrade through the suburbs into the Finnish capital. We arrived on time.
It was a great experience travel on this international train. Controls were intrusive but efficient. The train was smooth, spacious and comfortable.
A great experience and Ive made a 7 minute video of the whole St Petersburg tour and trip on the Allegro train which you can watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6384sdXQVJs&feature=share&list=UUmvWgfOkQ4Iwm20iQk9PgTA
7 min 20 secs. Requires sound
More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegro_(train)
After spending a few days in Russia, rather than fly out of St Petersburg and back to London, I thought it would be interesting to take the train out of Russia. I booked a ticket for the Allegro train online at Finnish state railways (VR) www.vr.fi . It wasnt cheap: 86 for a one way ticket even though the ticket was booked several weeks beforehand. I think you can get a cheaper 39 one way fare if you travel on the first train of the day. You need to provide your passport number when booking online. You cant choose a seat. The ticket comes as an email.
I was interested in taking this service for several reasons.
The line has historical importance: In April 1917, Lenin smuggled himself into St Petersburg from Helsinki on this very line. Indeed, the St Petersburg (Finlylandsky terminus) is on Lenin Square and theres a statue of Lenin too.
Customs and immigration checks are conducted while the train is on the move. I was wondering how this would work in practice on train travelling from Russia to a Schengen zone country. Every passenger on the train has a visa: either Europeans leaving Russian or Russians entering Schengen.
Much of the route has been upgraded and I was wondering what line speed would be like and the use of the tilt mechanism.
For the 15:25 departure from St Petersburg (Finlylandsky station), I arrived at 15:10. I wish Id arrived earlier: there wasnt quite enough to enjoy the full splendour of Lenin Square and the statue of Lenin adopting Peace, bread, land pose. Even though you can see the distinctive Allegro train beyond the departure board, an English notice directs you to a poorly marked entrance down a side street specifically for this international train. Once you go through this entrance, you put your bags through a x-ray machine and walk into the platform to train. No ticket check, no passport check. The Allegro platform is clearly segregated from the rest of the station. As you board the train, ticket and passport are checked by the conductor. It appeared that all the staff where from VR.
The train left spot on time at 15:25.
As soon as you take your seat, announcements and LED displays remind you that you are in a customs control zone until Vyburg. Vyburg is an hour down the line and the last and only other station calling point in Russia. In practice, customs control zone, means everyone remain in their seats until the Russian have completed their on board inspection. First, theres passport inspection. The immigration official open the tray table at your seat, puts down what is certainly the passenger list for the coach, checks off your name, retains your immigration card, swipes and then stamps your passport. Next there customs with quick visual inspection of luggage on the racks with each passenger asked about their luggage, contents, medicine and any money.
For the Russian part of the trip, the speed was mostly 200 km/h as we raced through a procession of commuter stations with local trains parked up in passing loops and sidings. After, its a mixture of forest and open countryside of the Leningrad Oblast. I wanted to step on the platform at Vyborg but by carriage doors remained shut. After Vyborg, I visited the restaurant car just for a visit. Using GPS, I worked out when we would approach the border. I started to film but was asked to leave the restaurant in readiness for Finnish customs and immigration control.
The train crossed the border at around 30 km/h on a single track. The border was clearing in the forest, pre-empted with warning signs and sentry post with a guard. Im curious how the border is monitored as theres no fence.
A few moments later we stopped at Vainikkala, the first Finnish station. Two Finnish immigration and at least four customs officers boarded the train. Between Vainikkala and Kouvola, the immigration officers checked all passports. Customs followed with a visual inspection of racks and some passengers asked more questions.
On the Finnish side, I became aware of the tilt, so I wonder if its not used on the Russian side. After much single track between Vybourg and Lahti, for the last 45 minutes of the run into Helsinki the train use a new high speed alignment travelling at 220km/h and a quadruple track upgrade through the suburbs into the Finnish capital. We arrived on time.
It was a great experience travel on this international train. Controls were intrusive but efficient. The train was smooth, spacious and comfortable.
A great experience and Ive made a 7 minute video of the whole St Petersburg tour and trip on the Allegro train which you can watch here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6384sdXQVJs&feature=share&list=UUmvWgfOkQ4Iwm20iQk9PgTA
7 min 20 secs. Requires sound
