junaliikennettä

Junaliikennettä refers to train traffic on a rail network, encompassing the movement of trains for passenger and freight services. The term covers timetable planning, dispatching, and the use of rail infrastructure, rolling stock, and signaling systems. It denotes operations and management aspects rather than rail construction or ticketing alone.

In Finland, junaliikennettä operates on a mix of state-owned infrastructure and various operators. The railway network is overseen by Traficom, the regulatory authority responsible for safety and licensing, while the infrastructure itself is owned and maintained by the state. Train services are provided by VR Group and several other domestic and international operators, with competition for passenger services increasing since liberalization in the 1990s and 2000s.

Rail services include long-distance, regional, and commuter passenger trains, as well as freight transportation. Timetables are coordinated to optimize capacity and safety, and ticketing and service quality fall under national and EU regulatory frameworks. Safety management, maintenance, and certification are governed by Traficom in line with EU railway safety directives.

The rail network uses different track gauges; Finland predominantly employs a broad gauge of 1,524 millimeters, with electrification on main corridors and non-electrified branches. Signaling, traffic control, and train protection systems aim to ensure safe and reliable operations, while digitalization and modernization projects, including components of ETCS, are underway to improve capacity and interoperability.

Environmental considerations emphasize rail as an energy-efficient mode of transport, with ongoing investments aimed at reducing emissions, improving punctuality, and expanding coverage to serve regional and urban mobility. Weather and aging infrastructure pose ongoing maintenance and investment needs.