Amber Train Links The Baltic States To Western Europe
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
These paragraphs outline the freight link.
A trial Amber Train service between the Baltic States left the Estonian port of Muuga on September 13, arriving the following day at Kaunas in Lithuanian where its load of semi-trailers was transferred to 1 435 mm gauge wagons for onward transport to destinations including France and the Netherlands.
The 1 520 mm gauge wagons returned to Muuga with trailers for onward sea transport to Finland.
This Google Map shows the Estonian port of Muuga Harbour.
Note.
- Muuga Harbour is the largest cargo port in Estonia, located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland, 17 kilometres (11 mi) northeast of the capital Tallinn
- It is one of the few ice-free ports in northernmost Europe and one of the most modern ports in the Baltic Sea region.
- Enlarging the picture shows a lot of rail lines.
It looks like Muuga Harbour is an ideal Northern terminus for the Amber Train freight service.
This Google Map shows the area of the Kaunus Intermodal Terminal.
Note.
- The railway runs diagonally across the map.
- Estonia is to the North-East.
- Poland is to the South-West.
This map shows how the different gauges are used in the North-East of the previous map.
Note.
- Standard gauge tracks are shown in black.
- Russian gauge tracks are shown in red.
- The standard gauge track ends in the North-East corner of the map.
Trucks would probably moved between trains on parallel tracks in this freight terminal.
It appears to be a very simple way to run piggy-back trains of trucks between The Baltic States and Finland and Central and Western Europe.
Rail Baltica
According to Wikipedia, the location for the Kaunas Intermodal Terminal was chosen as it is compatible with the route of Rail Baltica, which will create a new standard gauge route between Kaunas and Tallinn in Estonia.
The Amber Train
The Amber Train has an impressive web site, where this is said on the home page.
Amber Train is a joint project of the national railways of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It is an excellent example of cooperation, that offers road and railway clients convenient and efficient freight logistics.
Amber Train is an intermodal train, which runs on the route Šeštokai / Kaunas – Riga – Talinn, thus connecting the three Baltic States by railways and opening new business opportunities for freight shippers.
Exclusivity of the project is the connection of Western and North Europe, using the unique Šeštokai and Kaunas intermodal terminals, which enable the transshipment of freight from the European gauge to the 1520 mm gauge and vice versa.
The train is planned to run 2 times per week (with a future perspective to run up to 4 times per week), delivery time is 24 hours. Train length – up to 43 container wagons.
It is planned, that already in 2021 customers will be offered the opportunity to transport semi-trailers by railways via all three Baltic States. For this purpose, special “pocket” wagons are already in production.
Operations are managed by AB LTG Cargo (Part of Lithuanian Railways group), Latvia’s LDZ Loģistika and Estonia’s Operail.
It appears to be a well-thought out service.
A few years ago, I was on the roads of North-East Poland, about a hundred miles South of Kaunas.
These roads were crowded with large trucks going between The Baltic States and Finland and Central and Western Europe.
I suspect that once the Amber Train is fully established, a proportion of these trucks will go by rail.
Putin Burns $10m Of Gas A Day In Energy War With The West
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in The Times.
This is the first paragraph.
Russia is burning off an estimated $10 million of natural gas a day from a single plant, leading to accusations that President Putin is deploying his country’s vast energy reserves as a weapon against Europe.
It just showed the sort of idiot we’re dealing with!
- He doesn’t care about the planet.
- He’s effectively burning his country’s cash reserves.
- He’s spurring Western engineers on, to on the one hand find ways to beat him and on the other to find ways to make our gas go further, so we don’t need to buy his bloodstained gas.
- If he thinks, that he might provoke a war with Finland, I suspect the Finns are too bright for that.
They’ll be waiting and if the Russian Army should invade, they’ll get the kicking of a lifetime, just like Stalin’s thugs did in the Winter War of 1939-1940.
I
Climate Change: ‘Sand Battery’ Could Solve Green Energy’s Big Problem
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Finnish researchers have installed the world’s first fully working “sand battery” which can store green power for months at a time.
The article then gives a detailed explanation about how the battery works.
Note.
- The article does not give any details on battery capacity.
- The heat stored in the battery is extracted as hot water.
- The Finnish company is called Polar Night Energy.
In Bang Goes My Holiday!, I described the Siemens Gamesa ETES, which appears to work on similar principles, to the Finnish battery.
This document on the Siemens Gamesa web site describes that installation.
- The nominal power is 30 MW.
- The storage capacity is 130 MWh.
- Siemens use volcanic rock as the storage medium.
- 80 % of the technology is off the shelf.
The picture on the front says “Welcome To The New Stone Age”.
The BBC have published a video of the Polar Night Energy Battery.
Will Rail Baltica Annoy Putin?
Rail Baltica is described like this in Wikipedia.
Rail Baltica (also known as Rail Baltic in Estonia) is an ongoing greenfield railway infrastructure project to link Finland (via ferry or an undersea tunnel), Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania with Poland and through this with the European standard gauge rail line network. Its purpose is to provide passenger and freight service between participating countries and improve rail connections between Central and Northern Europe, specifically the area in the Southeast of the Baltic sea. Furthermore, it is intended to be a catalyst for building the economic corridor in Northeastern Europe. The project envisages a continuous rail link from Tallinn (Estonia) to Warsaw (Poland). It consists of links via Riga (Latvia), Kaunas and Vilnius (Lithuania). Rail Baltica is one of the priority projects of the European Union.
These are a few more details.
- It will be a double-track railway or four tracks if it handles freight.
- Passenger trains will run at up to 250 kph (155 mph)
- Electrification will be either 25 KVAC or 3 KVDC overhead.
- It will be a standard gauge line.
- There will be no level crossings.
- It is planned to open around 2026.
The biggest problem could be that some of the route is shared with the Russian gauge line, that connect Kaliningrad to Vilnius and then from there to the main part of Russia.
This map from OpenRailwayMap shows the railways between Kaliningrad and Vilnius.
Note.
- The orange lines are main lines.
- The yellow lines are secondary lines.
- The orange line going West goes to Kaliningrad.
- The dark grey line crossing the railway is the border of the Kaliningrad enclave, which was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945.
- The orange line going South goes to Bialystok, Warsaw and all places to the West.
- The loop in the line is at Kaunus, where there will be an interchange between the two lines.
- The orange lines going East go to Vilnius.
- The dotted red line in the North-East corner of the map, will be new track for Rail Baltica.
The new railway will effectively squeeze itself between Kaliningrad and Kaunus.
Railway Gauges In Poland and the Baltic States
Consider.
- Most, if not all of the railways in the Baltic States are Russian gauge.
- The line between Kaliningrad and Kaunus is Russian gauge.
- Most of the railway lines in Poland are standard gauge.
- The EU likes all new high speed lines like Rail Baltica to be built to standard gauge and have 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- Kaunus is in Lithuania, so NATO control access to Kaliningrad in sensitive times.
I can’t believe that Vlad likes the current situation and would probably prefer Rail Baltica to be built to Russian gauge, as it would enable the Russian Army to easily move tanks into the Baltic States.
Conclusion
There’s a chance that Vlad will make trouble.
Norrbotniabanan Final Phase To Go Ahead
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the Railway Gazette.
This is the first two paragraphs.
The government has decided to press ahead with completion of the Norrbotniabanan coastal railway linking Umeå and Luleå via Dåva and Skellefteå.
Recognising that ongoing investment in industrial development across the north of the country would drive demand for improved transport links, Infrastructure Minister Tomas Eneroth has instructed Trafikverket to continue planning work for the new line.
If you get your maps out, you’ll find that the Norrbotniabanan or North Bothnian Line is at the North of the Baltic Sea.
- It’s also planned as a high speed line with an operating speed of 160 mph, which is faster than the East Coast Main Line in the UK.
- It is also 170 miles long.
- Journey time between Umeå and Luleå will be ninety minutes as opposed to four hours today.
Wikipedia also says this about connections at the Northern end.
Currently, the area is served by the Main Line Through Upper Norrland, which is located inland and with branch lines connected to various towns along the coast. To the north, the line will connect with the Main Line Through Upper Norrland and onwards along the Haparanda Line to connect to the Barents Region and the Finnish railway network. It will also connect to the Iron Ore Line.
Sounds like it will be a great place to go for a rail-oriented holiday.
‘Super Train’ In Finland Sets New Record: The Equivalent Of 92 Trucks
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on RailFreight.com.
This is the introductory paragraph.
The Finnish railway company VR Transpoint has introduced another heavy weight to the railways. Dubbed the Super Train, it carries a weight of 7,000 tonne, and 80 wagons. Moreover, it is about one kilometre long. According to the company, this sets a new record on Finnish railways.
These are a few points about the service.
- The service runs between Vainikkala and Hamina.
- The route appears to be electrified.
- The super train is hauled by two Vectron locomotives.
- Longer trains are more efficient.
- Long trains regularly run in Russia.
This map shows the border crossing at Vainikkala.
Note.
- The border running South-West and North-East across the map.
- The giant Finnish marshalling yard in the North-West.
- The large Russian marshalling yard in the South-East.
This Google Map shows the Finnish Marshalling yard at Vainikkala.
I estimate that the yard is over a kilometre in length.
Passenger Trains Between Helsinki And St. Petersburg
There is also a passenger service between Helsinki and St. Petersburg, that uses this route called Allegro, that usually runs thrice daily.
The trains are Alstom Pendolinos, specially designed for the route and are detailed in this section called Vehicles in the Allegro Wikipedia entry.
The journey time is just three and a half hours.
If you want to buy tickets, this page on The Man In Seat 61 gives all the details.
Conclusion
It looks like the Finns and the Russians have co-operated well to create a quality passenger and freight link between their two countries.
Rail Baltica Concept Trains Inspired By Sun, Sea And Sand
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Railway Gazette.
The article shows concept images and I suspect that any of Europe’s train makers could make trains like these.
Rail Baltica will have following route and specification.
- It will eventually run between Helsinki and Warsaw, via Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
- There will be a tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn.
- It will carry both passengers and freight.
- Freight trains will have a maximum length of 1050 metres, as opposed to 775 metres in the UK.
- It will be mainly double-track.
- It will be a standard gauge track with right-hand running, as all countries in the area use right-hand running.
- There will be no level crossings.
- It will have 25 KVAC overhead electrification.
- There will be ERTMS signalling.
- Passenger trains will run at 249 kph (161 mph)
- It is intended to be completed in mid-2026
The specification is similar to High Speed Two, with these exceptions.
- High Speed Two is faster at 205 mph.
- High Speed Two runs on the left.
- High Speed Two will not carry freight.
Phases 1 and 2a of High Speed Two should complete in 2029-2033, with Phase 2b following in 2035.
The bidders to build High Speed Two’s rolling stock include.
- Alstom Transport
- Bombardier Transportation (acquired by Alstom Transport on 29 January 2021) and Hitachi Rail Europe consortium
- Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles
- Patentes Talgo
- Siemens Mobility
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a similar list of companies tendering to build the trains for Rail Baltica.
- Stadler, who have factories in Poland may be added to the list.
- As the trains are being designed at the same time as High Speed Two trains, I wouldn’t be surprised to be similarities.
- They would also have to be designed for both left and right hand running, if there was any chance of a service between Paris and Helsinki.
- Although, they will run under 25 KVAC electrification on Rail Baltica,they may need to be able to run on other voltages.
I very much feel that Rail Baltica will be offered a selection of excellent trains.
Where Will The Trains Be Built?
Consider
- This obviously depends, where winning bidder has factories.
- But there is also the problem of getting trains between the factory and the Baltic.
- This could be difficult for factories in Spain, as there would need to be a gauge change.
- It would be easier, if the route were standard gauge all the way, as it would be from France, Germany, Italy and the UK
- If a Spanish company got the contract, could it build the trains in the UK, as delivery could be easier.
- I puzzle, why Talgo are building a factory in Scotland without any UK orders. But it would be easier to deliver trains to Russia and Eastern Europe by sea from Longannet than Spain.
There are a lot of factors that will define where the trains will be built.
Finland – Estonia Tunnel Secures €15bn In Funding
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the International Rail Journal.
This is the first paragraph.
FINEST Bay Area Development has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Touchstone Capital Partners, China, to secure €15bn in financing for construction of a 100km railway tunnel under the Gulf of Finland between Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia.
Linked to the planned Rail Baltica, it will mean that passengers and freight will be able to use railways between the UK and Finland.
Finland And Norway To Explore Building Arctic Rail Link
The title of this post is the same as that of this article on the Reuters web site.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Finland and Norway agreed on Friday to explore constructing an Arctic rail link from northern Finland to the Barents Sea coast to develop trade routes and business opportunities in the region.
The proposed link would run from Finland’s northern city of Rovaniemi to Norway’s ice-free deep-water port of Kirkenes, located some 15 km from the border with Russia.
I didn’t know that ports, that far North could still be ice-free.
It is an interesting concept.
My only worry, is what will Vlad think of it all!
But then the Finns have stood up to the Russians before!
Finland-Estonia Rail Tunnel Feasibility Study Completed
The title of this post is the same as that of this article in the International Railway Journal.
This is the first two paragraphs.
A feasibility study into the construction of a rail tunnel under the Baltic Sea between the Finnish capital Helsinki and the Estonian capital Tallinn estimates the cost of the project at €13-20bn.
The FinEst Link tunnel would be constructed as two 10m-diameter single bores connected at intervals with an 8m-diameter central service tunnel. The concept includes two artificial islands, and three stations in Helsinki – City Centre, Pasila and Vantaa Airport – and one station at Ülemiste in Tallinn. The tunnel would be standard gauge to connect with the new Rail Baltica high-speed line linking Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
The article also goes on to say this about the economics of the tunnel.
While the project has a low cost:benefit ratio of 0.45 due to the high capital cost, its wider economic impact on GDP ranges from €4bn for the low scenario to €6.9bn for the base scenario.
Would the projected cost and economics of the FinEst Tunnel be a rough guide to what would happen if a fixed link were to be built between Scotland and Ireland?
The FinEst Tunnel will be standard gauge to be compatible with Rail Baltica, despite both Finland and Estonia using different railway gauges.
Just like the difference between Great Britain and the island of Ireland.
The Anonymous Widower 