2006: The Start of Service for a Finnish Railway Line

September 3, 2006

A railway line in the southern area of Finland began regular train runs. This 47-mile (75.7-kilometer)-line serves as a link between the town of Kerava and the city of Lahti. The start of daily operations for the Kerava-Lahti railway line took place a couple of days after several events commemorating the new transit route. The public officials on hand for these events included Susanna Huovinen (born in 1972), the Finnish Government’s minister of transport and communications from 2005 to 2007.

One of the highlights of that day’s inaugural festivities involved having a 12-car Pendolino train carry about 500 passengers, many of whom were formally designated as VIPs, to the station in Lahti. Railway Gazette later confirmed that, as a key part of the logistics for accommodating all of those individuals, “a large marquee had been erected in the goods yard for the main celebrations.” These celebrations included approximately 50 local schoolchildren performing a specially composed number titled Lahti Rap.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

For more information on the Kerava-Lahti railway line, please check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerava%E2%80%93Lahti_railway