pääteaseman

Pääteasema, literally “terminal station” in Finnish, is a railway station that marks the end of a railway line. It serves as the final destination for trains on the line and typically concentrates passenger facilities, ticketing, and sometimes rail yard operations in one location. A pääteasema may host one or more platforms, with tracks arranged to allow trains to arrive and then reverse or use a turnback maneuver for departure. In older networks some termini used turning facilities such as turntables or wyes; in modern networks a push-pull operation or driver cab-entry from the opposite end allows trains to reverse without turning the entire train.

Operations at a pääteasema differ from those at through stations; through stations enable trains to pass through with continuous service, whereas termini require scheduling to accommodate turning, crew changes, and often buffer and storage tracks. Termini can serve as endpoints for commuter routes or freight-only lines, and they may be integrated with rail yards, depots, and maintenance facilities.

In planning and service design, termini can act as transfer hubs, linking rail services with bus, tram, or metro networks; their location and capacity influence urban mobility, housing, and land use. The term pääteasema is used in Finnish railway discourse to distinguish end-of-line stations from intermediate or junction stations.