Allegro trains connecting Helsinki and St. Petersburg have not been used for almost a year until recently. There was an idea to send them to Ukraine, but Russian Railways stand in the way. It is reported by Railway Supply with reference to Nakolei.

Allegro

According to Finnish media, the idea was to be presented to Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin during her visit to Kyiv. This idea was shared by representatives of Ukrzaliznytsia, who were aware of the situation with Allegro trains.

Trains manufactured by Alstom set off on their first solemn journey in 2010 with the participation of the presidents of the two countries. The operation of the train was finally suspended on March 27, 2022, a month after the start of the war, giving time to everyone who wanted to leave Russia. Shortly after, Finnish Railways VR parked them in Helsinki, noting that they did not expect them to return to service.

Ukrzaliznytsia electrified 82 km of tracks and overhauled another 470 km in 2022

The Ukrainian side had to submit an application for the donation of trains, which was submitted to Prime Minister Sanna Marin. After returning to Finland, the Prime Minister sent an inquiry about this to the Finnish VR.

The problem, however, is that Allegro trains are formally owned by Karelian Trains JV, which is owned equally by Russian Railways (RZD) and Finnish Railways (VR). “Therefore, we cannot hand over the trains ourselves or make decisions about their fate,” admitted Topi Simola, head of the VR department.

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