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	Public transport in Helsinki is considered to have begun in 1888, when the first horse-drawn omnibuses started to run from Töölö to Kaivopuisto. Soon after this, rails were installed to run horse trams. The horse trams ran for ten years until electricity was introduced in 1900. On September 4th the first electric tram started out on the route Töölö-Hietalahti. HKL had its 60-year anniversary in 2005. Helsinki City Transport (HKL) remains responsible for running the trams and the metro as well as construction and maintenance of track, stations and depots. Public transport in Helsinki today consists of bus, tram, metro, train, and ferry services. The system is run by Helsinki City Transport (HKL). Helsinki (Helsingfors) is the only city in Finland to have access to trams or subway trains. There used to be two other cities in Finland with trams: Turku (Åbo) and Viipuri (Vyborg). However, Turku abandoned trams in 1972 and Viipuri (at that time already part of the USSR) abandoned them in 1957. Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) began operating on 1 January 2010 and is responsible for public transport planning, commissioning, passenger information and ticket inspection. The new organization is responsible for the planning and organization of public transport services in its member municipalities, as well as for the preparation of the Helsinki Region Transport System Plan. The board of HKL decided on 2 December 2010 to order 40 new articulated trams from the Finnish manufacturer Transtech Oy. Transtech is the direct descendant of the state-owned Valmet, which built Helsinki's Nr I and Nr II trams. Two new trams are to start test runs in 2013 and the production series deliveries are expected to start in 2015. The order is worth €113 million and it includes an option for a further 90 trams. The new Transtech tram has a double-articulated, eight-axle design. It is planned to be 27.3m (89ft 7in) long and to have 73 fixed seats, 14 foldable seats and space for 75 standee passengers. The design has a 100% low floor and conventional, turning bogies designed to run without problems on Helsinki's challenging old-fashioned track network. (ref: Wikipedia/Kalle Id) Special thanks to Kalle Id for help with this page: kships.blogspot.com

	Sections on this Page Helsinki Trams (HKL) No.50 - Vintage Tram No.223 - Vintage Trailer Valmet RM1 Trams - 331-375 Karia HM V Trams - 1-15 Valmet Nr I Trams - 31-70 Valmet Nr II Trams - 71-112 MLNRV Trams - 71-112 (Nr.I/II trams with low floor section) Düwag GT8 Tram - 150 Düwag GT6 Trams - 151-154 Düwag GT8N Trams - 161-166 Variotrams - 201-240 Works Trams Helsinki Ferries (SLL) Ehrensvärd Suokki Suomenlinna II Tor Associated Pages Tramways Header Page Cruise Ships Ocean Liners UK Excursion Vessels World Ferry Fleets Simplon Postcards - Home Page Simplon Postcards - Recent Updates - Simplon Postcards facebook page	Simplon Scandinavia & Baltic Pages:- Helsinki Trams - this page! Riga Trams & Trolleybuses Rostock Trams Tallinn Trams & Trolleybuses Trondheim Trams References Helsinki City Transport (HKL): www.hel.fi/hki/HKL Suomenlinnan Liikenne Oy (SLL): www.slloy.fi Suomenlinna Island: www.suomenlinna.fi Finnish Tramway Society: www.raitio.org Helsinki Tram Maps 2009 Area Map Diagrammatic Map
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Number 50 is a tram of the ASEA "standard type" built in 1909. Identical units were also used on the Turku and Viipuri tramways (in Helsinki the units were nicknamed "pikkuruotsalainen", "little Swede"). A total of 76 units were delivered to Helsingin raitiotieosakeyhtiö (HRO, Helsinki Tramway Company) in 1908-1919, making it the most numerous individual tram type to be ever used in Helsinki. In 1945, when HRO became Helsinki City Transport, the units were renumbered and number 50 became number 5. In 1957 #5 became a shunter with the number H4, but it was withdrawn already 1959. The unit was retained and officially became a museum tram in 1986. It later passed to the Helsinki City Museum, and in 2009 the museum sold the tram to Stadin Ratikat (Helsinki slang for "Helsinki Trams"), a private company operating museum trams in Helsinki. Stadin Ratikat had the tram restored to working order and original livery in Tallinn. It begun duties as a museum tram in 2013.

Refs: Finnish Tramway Society's website (raitio.org) and Stadin Ratikat's website (stadinratikat.fi).

Number 233 is an open trailer built for summer traffic. Twelve units of this type were built in 1919 by Hietalahden Telakka (Hietalahti Shipyard, the same place that is known today as Arctech Helsinki Shipyard) for HRO. When HRO became HKL in 1945, 233 was renumbered into 550. The open trailers remained in use until the 1952 Summer Olympics, after which they were withdrawn. The body of the 550 was sold in 1953 to a private owner to become a gazebo. In 2007 it was purchased by Stadin Ratikat and taken to Tallinn for renovation. The original wheels, axles etc had been lost, but replacement parts were found in Tallinn from an old Gotha tram. The 550 was restored to original appearance and was given back the original number 233, reappearing in Helsinki in museum service in 2009. Initially the trailer was paired with the HKL-owned museum unit 157, until the restoration works of number 50 were completed in 2013.

Refs: Finnish Tramway Society's website (raitio.org) and Stadin Ratikat's website (stadinratikat.fi).

The Valmet RM 1 class of trams was one of four similar but not identical tram classes delivered to Helsinki during the 1950s (the other classes were Karia HM IV, Valmet RM 3 and Karia HM V - all were loosely based on the "Mustang" trams built for various Swedish cities during 1940s and 50s). The RM 1 trams were delivered during 1955-56 and given the numbers 331-375. At the time it was thought these trams would be used on planned light rail -type lines to various new suburbs, but over the years there plans altered to become the Helsinki Metro. The RM 1 class remained in regular service until the mid-80s, when it was replaced by the new Nr.II class. Three RM 1 units survive at the time of writing (2012): 331 is in Helsinki City Museum's collections (stored in Tuusula and not open to the public), 339 was restored to original appearance in 2004 by HKL and Stadin Ratikat and is available for private charters through Stadin Ratikat (www.stadinratikat.fi), while 344 was converted to a shunter in 1984 and given a grey/yellow/black livery.

The photographs of HKL 339 on line 2 are from Stadin Ratikat's 10th anniversary, in honour of which line 2 (closed down in 2005) was briefly reactivated with the route Kauppatori-Linjat that the line run on 1985-1992.

Information from raitio.org and stadinratikat.fi.

The The HM V tram class was the last four-axle tram class to be delivered for service in Helsinki. They were also the last trams ever built by the Finnish tram manufacturer Karia. The HM V class consisted of 15 units, numbered 1-15, delivered in 1959. At the same time HKL had ordered 15 near-identical RM 3-class trams from Valmet. The RM 3 units were delivered some months before the HM V class, but confusingly were numbered 16-30. As built the HM V -class trams were equipped for multiple drive to make them usable on planned suburban tram lines, but these lines were never built and multiple drive never used. Originally the HM V class had conductor's booths next to the rear door, but these were removed between 1978 and 1982 when HKL moved to one-man operations in trams. The first HM V units were withdrawn in 1993, but the bulk of the series survived in regular service until the delivery of the Variotrams. After this they were used as reserve units until 2010, although very rarely used in normal traffic. Number 14 was also used as a moving advertisement in 200-2008 (on charters, never in regular traffic).

In 1995 HM V number 15 was converted into a pub tram in collaboration with the Sinebrychoff brewery. The tram's interiors were rebuilt, the central door removed, it was renumbered 175 in honour of Sinebrychoff's 175th anniversary, repainted in a red livery advertising Sinebrichoff's Koff beer and nicknamed Spårakoff (from Helsinki slang spåra = tram + Koff). At the time of writing, in addition to number 175 (ex-15), numbers 9, 11 and 12 survive. 9 and 12 were restored to the original appearance in 2004-2007 and are used as charter trams, alongside a matching HP II -class trailer number 505 from 1958. Number 11 will be used as a test vehicle for the technology to be used in the upcoming Transtech trams (it was already used in a similar capacity for the Variotrams). After the tests it will be scrapped. Number 175 is the only remaining unit seen in regular service, but naturally only on the special pub line. (ref: raitio.org).

The Valmet Nr I class was the first type of articulated tram operated by HKL. The design of the Nr I type trams was based on the German Düwag GT6 type trams built from1956. The Nr I trams were delivered by Valmet between 1973 and 1975, with the first seven trams delivered in 1973, a further 18 delivered in 1974 and the final 15 in 1975. The first tram of this class entered revenue-earning service on 16th December 1973 on line 10. They were delivered in a light grey & orange livery, but later repainted in a more traditional green & cream between 1986-1995. The HKL tram numbering system had been reset in 1959, with the numbering of new trams delivered that year beginning from 1. Valmet Nr I trams are numbered 31 to 70. 10 trams of class Nr I will receive new low-floor centre sections to become MLNRV class, as will all of the Nr II class. (ref: Wikipedia/Kalle Id)

The Nr II class was a further development of the Nr I class built by Valmet for the HKL between 1973 and 1975 (the Nr I was in turn based on the popular Düwag-built GT6 class). The Nr I and Nr II classes are virtually identical in their exterior and interior designs. The first three Nr II class trams were delivered to HKL in 1983, followed by an additional 11 in both 1984 and 1985, a further ten in 1986 and the final seven in 1987. The first tram in the class entered service for HKL in July 1983. They were delivered in a light grey & orange livery, but then repainted in a more traditional green & cream between 1986-1995. Between 1996 and 2005 all trams in this class were modernised and re-designated as Nr II+.

On July 21, 2003, one of the Nr II class trams derailed at high speed in the junction between Mannerheimintie and Aleksanterinkatu in central Helsinki. Investigation into the causes of the accident revealed that the driver of the tram had lost consciousness shortly before the collision due to the extreme heat in the cockpit of the tram. As a result of the accident the HKL redesigned the windshield of the Nr II class trams, adding a large visor that contains an air-conditioning unit as well as shields the driver from direct sunlight. Trams 72, 95 and 109 were refitted with modified windshields in 2005. Between 2004 and 2007 all trams in the class were built with new line displays on the front and side of the tram, displaying both the number and destination on the line. In 2006 tram number 80 was rebuilt with a new 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in) low-floor midsection, built by Verkehrs Industrie. To cope with the added weight of the midsection, the output of the traction motors was increased by approximately 20%. Experiences with the prototype lengthened tram were positive, and the rest of the Nr II class will be similarly rebuilt from late 2008 onwards. The units rebuilt with low-floor midsection are also known with the class designation MLNRV and they are expected to remain in service until 2025. 10 trams of class Nr I will also receive new low-floor centre sections to become MLNRV class. (ref: Wikipedia/Kalle Id)

In 2006, Valmet Nr II tram number 80 was rebuilt with a new 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in) low-floor midsection, built by Verkehrs Industrie. To cope with the added weight of the midsection, the output of the traction motors was increased by approximately 20%. Experiences with the prototype lengthened tram were positive, and the rest of the Nr II class will be similarly rebuilt from late 2008 onwards. The units rebuilt with low-floor midsection are also known with the class designation MLNRV and they are expected to remain in service until 2025. 10 trams of class Nr I will also receive new low-floor centre sections to become MLNRV class. (ref: Wikipedia/Kalle Id)

There is just one Düwag GT8-type tram in use in Helsinki, HKL 150. The tram was originally built for Verkehrsbetriebe Ludwigshafen am Rhein GmbH (VBL) in 1967 as the GT6-type tram number 150. In 1970 a new midsection was fitted and hence the tram became a GT8-type unit. It was withdrawn from use in Ludwigshafen in 2003. In 2004 HKL acquired the tram as a test vehicle for the MLNRV project - if a double-articulated GT8-class tram could cope with Helsinki's track network, so could the envisioned double-articulated MLNRV units. The tram retained it's original number, becoming HKL 150. After tests during 2004 HKL 150 was used occasionally on lines 1 and 1A until 2005. In 2006 it was converted into a charter tram with special interior fittings. (ref: raitio.org/Kalle Id)

Four Düwag GT6-type trams were acquired by HKL in 2005 from Mannheimer Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-Aktiengesellschaft (MVV) in Mannheim, Germany as a solution to the chronic tram shortage caused by persistent reliability problems with the Variotrams. In Mannheim the 1970-built trams carried the numbers 453, 456, 457 and 455, becoming numbers 151, 152, 153 and 154 in Helsinki, respectively. A further ex-Mannheim tram (MVV 451) was bought and used as a source of spare parts. All GT6 trams were painted in advertisement liveries, with the liveries usually changing every six or twelve months. Due to their city of origins the class has been nicknamed "Manne", which is also a semi-pejorative term for a romani (gypsy) in Finnish. The GT6 units are slated for withdrawal once the new Transtech-built trams are delivered from 2015 onwards.
(ref: raitio.org/Kalle Id)

Following the relative success of the second-hand Düwag GT6 trams and due to the continued problems with the Variotrams, in 2007-2008 HKL acquired a further six second-hand trams from Mannheim. These were of the GT8N-type, double-articulated with a low-floor midsection. Originally these units had been built in 1962/1964, with the midsections fitted in 1991-1992. They were withdrawn from service in Mannheim in 2005-2006. In Helsinki the trams were numbered 161-166. Numbers 161, 163 and 165 were painted in the traditional yellow/green livery, 162 and 164 in advertisement liveries and 1966 in a special livery as a culture tram (see below). The units entered service in Helsinki during 2008-2009. For whatever reason the GT8N series has not been as popular as the GT6 series - of the GT8N's, only number 162, 164 and 166 are regularly seen in service. 161 and 163 have been seen occasionally, but 165 has never been in passenger service according to the Finnish Tramway Society's website raitio.org.

HKL 166 was converted into a special culture tram. It was given a special silvery exterior livery (earning it the nickname Silakka, "The Herring") with a sculpture, Maskotti ("The Mascot") above the line number display. It also has special interior fittings allowing for art and video displays as well as a PA system allowing for music performances, small-scale theatre production, dance performances and even stand-up comedy. The culture tram entered regular service in 2010. It is used on regular traffic on weekdays, usually on line 7, with live performances usually taking place between 5 and 6 PM. (ref: raitio.org/Kalle Id)

40 Variotrams were delivered to Helsinki between 1998-2001. The Variotram (German Variobahn) is a German-designed articulated low-floor tram model. Since its introduction in 1993, the Variotram has been manufactured variously by ABB, Adtranz, Bombardier Transportation, and since 2001 by Stadler Rail. As of 2009, 254 trams have been ordered, with an additional 110 on option. A unit costs about €2.5 million. Operators other than Helsinki include the Bergen Light Rail, Chemnitzer Verkehrs AG, Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr, the Rhine Neckar Area Tramway and the Metro Light Rail of Sydney. (ref: Wikipedia/Kalle Id)

Suomenlinnan Liikenne Oy (SLL) is a public utility company jointly owned by the State of Finland and the City of Helsinki, which operates transport to the island of Suomenlinna. The City’s shares in SLL are held by HKL. SLL runs passenger traffic between Kauppatori and the main pier at Suomenlinna. Transport is mainly provided by two vessels, the Suomenlinna II owned by the company itself and one subcontracted vessel, the Tor. The company also runs maintenance traffic from Katajanokka on the maintenance ferry Ehrensvärd. Helsinki internal tickets and regional tickets are valid on Suomenlinna ferries, as is the Suomenlinna ticket.