Oulu–Kontiomäki railway

Oulu–Kontiomäki railway
Location of the railway line in Finland
Overview
Locale	Finland
Termini	Oulu Kontiomäki
Stations	6
Operation
Opened	1926–1930
Owner	Finnish Transport Agency
Operator(s)	VR Group
Technical
Line length	166.1 km (103.2 mi)
Track gauge	1,524 mm (5 ft)
Electrification	Overhead catenary, 2 × 25 kV
Operating speed	140 km/h (87 mph)
Route map RHK, Finland Oulu–Kontiomäki north towards Tornio 166.1 Oulu 162.4 Oulu freight yard south towards Seinäjoki 147.1 Pikkarala 130.5 Muhos Muhos River (Bridge info) 108.4 Utajärvi 83.4 Nuojua (closed) Oulu River (Bridge info) 74.2 Vaala 40.8 Kivesjärvi 17.3 Paltamo Kiehimä's River (Bridge info) 13.9 Palta Oy (spur) north towards Ämmänsaari east towards Vartius 0.0 Kontiomäki south towards Iisalmi south-east towards Joensuu

Oulu–Kontiomäki railway is a railway line in Finland. The line is owned and maintained by the Finnish Rail Administration. It connects the city of Oulu to station at Kontiomäki, which is a junction of five railway lines in Paltamo municipality, approximately 26 kilometres (16 mi) north from the city of Kajaani. The line is single-tracked and electrified with a total length of 166.1 kilometres (103.2 mi). The traffic is controlled via centralized traffic control by the operator located in Oulu rail traffic control center at Oulu railway station. The line follows the south shore of Oulu River.

The electrification was taken in commercial service on December 1, 2006, the power was turned on on October 1, 2006. First commercial electric-powered trains ran on November 1, 2006. The maximum allowed speed is 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) in passenger service, and 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in freight service. Passenger service speeds will be raised to 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph) once the necessary precautions regarding level crossing safety have been completed and approved.

Centralized traffic control was completed in 1998.

Traffic consists of a mixture of passenger and freight trains. Most of the traffic is freight traffic originating at Kontiomäki, Uimaharju (on Joensuu–Kontiomäki line) and Vartius. The only operator is the national rail operator VR. There are eight daily passenger trains (four in each direction).

The line is most noted for the presence of heavy taconite unit trains. These trains originate in Kostomuksha, Russia, and terminate in Kokkola, Finland, where the ore is transloaded in to bulk ships. Previously taconite train also ran to Rautaruukki steel mill in Raahe, but this traffic ceased early in 2007, when Rautaruukki decided to order the taconite from LKAB in Sweden.