Inaugural Trip on Finland’s Pendolino Plus High-Speed Train!

Inaugural Trip on Finland’s Pendolino Plus High-Speed Train!

This Video is in Partnership with Level8 Luggage. Did you know there used to 
be a 4-times-daily high-speed service from Helsinki to St. Petersburg? Well, since that was cancelled for 
obvious reasons… VR have totally refurbished the trains with new luxurious 
interiors and have just relaunched them. Today, we’re on the inaugural journey 
of Finland’s new flagship train, the ‘Pendolino Plus’… so what do you 
say we go and check it out together? Welcome to Helsinki. It’s no secret that 
this is one of my favourite cities in Europe. I love the style of the city, the general 
vibe, lots to see and do, and of course, there’s a superb public transport system! Yes, it’s on the expensive side, 
but there are still deals to be had – and in the off season, you can get a 
decent hotel room for under €60 per night. Our journey starts from a very 
wet Helsinki central station, which dates back to 1862 – although this 
majestic current building was completed in 1919. It is the main hub for the Finnish 
capital’s commuter lines, as well as the national long-distance network, with 
trains departing to all corners of the country. We enter under the watchful gaze of 
110 year old granite ‘Gatekeeper’ statues who stand guard over the main 
entrance, holding their glass lanterns. The stunning main hall features an 
entrance to the Helsinki Metro ahead, as well as a couple of eateries. Then continuing forward to the newer annex ahead, there are many more shops and food 
outlets, and some waiting areas. The large main departure board is currently out 
of service as this area undergoes a refurbishment. Our train today is the ‘Pendolino 
Plus’ S959 service to Turku, departing from platform 11 – the 
inaugural journey of this new train. Some festivities have been 
arranged to mark this occasion, and as we head through to the platform 
area, we can already hear them. A band are playing, and some speeches are 
made, along with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Then, everyone is allowed to have a walk around 
and explore the new train for half an hour. Here is our stunning ride for today. It’s a VR Sm6 ‘Pendolino 
Plus’ 7-car high-speed EMU. These have a Maximum Speed of 220km/h (137mph) 
and a power output of 5,400kW (7,400hp). These are a newer version of the 
Sm3 ‘Pendolino’ sets that have operated in Finland for over 25 years, seen here. They are formed of one Ekstra Plus (First Class 
Plus) coach, one Ekstra (First Class) coach, one Restaurant coach, three Eko (Second Class) 
coaches and one Eko/Private compartment coach, where we’ll be sitting today in the latter of those accommodations. We’ll 
check out the others later on! Before we board let’s check out today’s route. We depart Helsinki heading north, 
before turning west towards Karis, and then north west towards Turku on 
this limited stop express service. OK, let’s board as I’m 
really excited for this trip! There is no level boarding, however a sliding step can somewhat bridge 
the height gap from the low platforms. Wheelchair lifts are integrated in to 
coach 3, along with 2 dedicated wheelchair spaces and an accessible toilet in coach 
2 which I’ll show you once we’re underway. I have to say, my first impressions are great! I think VR have done a brilliant 
job with this refurbishment and these trains are looking very stylish! Luggage can be stored on the 
stacks at the ends of the coaches, or on the overhead racks 
which run above all seats. Here is my little private compartment – how cool! 
There’s plenty of space for all types of luggage either behind the door, or in this large space 
here on the floor. And speaking of luggage… Introducing the new Level8 
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or in the description below. OK, let’s get comfy as we’ll shortly be departing 
on this inaugural Pendolino Plus service. We leave right on-time at 3.35pm. The full route is 192km (119mi) and is scheduled to take 2 hours and 4 minutes of 
travel time, arriving at 5.39pm My non-flexible, advance purchase ticket base 
fare cost just €10.90 (£9.52, $12.67). This gets you a regular, Second or ‘Eko’ 
Class seat. This is outstanding value! You can then pay a supplement to 
change your seat. I paid an additional €10.60 (£9.26, $12.32) for this private 
compartment. I paid for a single one, but my seat allocation was changed to a double 
one. I have no idea why! There are two single, and one double compartments on this 
train, plus a 6-seater in the top class. The upgrades to the First Class 
‘Ekstra’ and ‘Ekstra Plus’ seats are on-screen now. We’ll check these out later on. Be aware, prices are dynamic and do go up quite 
a lot the closer you book to your travel date. For instance, a week before travel, the base 
fare on this service was double the price I paid. On the way out of Helsinki, we call just at Pasila and Leppävaara before turning 
west and head in to the countrywide. I’ve done many thousands of miles on the 
Finnish railway network over the past 7 years, covering nearly #AllTheLines, however this is 
my first time on this line, and it will be my first time in Turku – so I’m looking forward 
to exploring, even if it is in my big jacket! Now let’s check out my private compartment 
– it’s amazing to have my own space. The door has a lock, but this wouldn’t engage. The lights, temperature and announcement 
volume can all be controlled independently. Four coat hooks can be found on the wall. The seat padding is ok, but I find 
the ergonomic shape not great. There is a nice headrest along with 
adjustable armrests though. The seats can be reclined by pushing this 
lever, and shuffling the base forward. Legroom is good, even with 
someone sitting opposite you. The fixed table is very sturdy, 
and has slide-out extensions. Each person has access to one European-style 
power socket, and two USB-C ports. The windows have full closure blinds. There was no bin, or bin bags in the 
room, which was a strange omission. But overall, an excellent 
product, especially for the price! I was just about to have a wander around the rest 
of the train, when free cookies were handed out! OK, here is ‘Eko’ or Second Class. The seats 
are quite similar to those in my compartment. I have some footage of all the classes from 
before we departed to give you a better look. The amenities are all the same as I have, but they do have bin bags and 
individual overhead reading lights. Right at the front of Coach 7 is a designated 
family seating area with a play zone for kids. The First Class options, are called 
Ekstra and Ekstra Plus by VR. These both come with free, 
self-service hot drinks and water. Ekstra Class is in a 2+2 layout located in 
coach 2. The majority are airline style, however there are some bays of four. The seats are the same as Eko Class, 
but the coach is a silent one, and with the aforementioned drinks included. All other amenities remain the same. Two wheelchair spaces can be found in this coach. The accessible toilet is located right next 
to this area – and the wheelchair lifts, seen earlier, are at the door just beyond this. Finally, Ekstra Plus is in a 2+1 configuration, located in coach 1. Again the majority 
are airline style, but with a few bays. These super stylish leather seats are a decent 
upgrade – they are very good with better padding. There is also a 6-seat private compartment 
down the far end of this class. Overall, I think VR have 
done an excellent job with all the different seating options on the train. There really is something for 
everyone and varying price points! Now, to my favourite part of the train… 
the dining car – located in coach 3. In my opinion, VR have one of the best 
onboard train food selections in Europe. There is a wide variety of 
meals, snacks and drinks, and all of very good quality, albeit quite pricey. It’s nice to see it so well used 
– nearly every seat was taken! I went for the tomato and 
pesto pasta with a pint of beer. The total price was €19.50 (£17.12, $22.48). On the way back to my compartment, let’s check out 
the toilets, of which there is one is every coach. These were immaculately clean, fully 
working and everything was stocked up, including soap, hand towels and toilet roll. Finally, like on the VR double 
decker Intercity coaches, there is a phone cupboard with a 
small desk, where you can retreat to and take calls without disturbing 
other passengers. This is a great idea! Around half way through the 
journey, we call at Karis. This small town of around 9,000 people is 
a majority Swedish speaking settlement, with around 60% of people using 
it as their first language. Fun fact, Swedish is also an official 
language of Finland, and as such, all onboard announcements are made 
in Finnish, Swedish and English. After here is where can reach today’s top speed 
of 200km/h (125mph) for a few short sections, however most of the time we are 
limited by line speeds to 160km/h (100mph) maximum. The ride quality 
is very good though throughout! The train is equipped with WiFi. I 
could connect, but not get an internet connection – however the 5G signal was strong 
and fast throughout the majority of the route. I’ve shown you everything there is to 
see on the train, and there’s nothing to see out the window now, so I’m going to sit 
back and enjoy the remainder of the journey. Our penultimate stop is Kupittaa 
on the outskirts of Turku. Shortly after, we are pulling in to Turku’s 
central station, on-time, at 5.39pm. Many people have come out to see this new train, and take photos from the 
platform. That’s great to see! In summary, I’ve had a fantastic trip today! These new Pendolino Plus trains are a noticeable upgrade over the older model 
– with very stylish interiors. The staff were also very kind and helpful, and very proud to show off their 
new train – and so they should be! The private compartments and 
Ekstra Plus in particular are excellent with those being my recommendations. Also, in line with VR’s other 
trains – there’s a fantastic dining car with great food and drink options. It is also great value for money, especially if you book early. What more 
could you want from an intercity service? Have you been on any Finnish trains before? If so, which ones and on which routes? How did you 
find them? Let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to subscribe, thanks for watching 
to the end, and I’ll see you in the next video!

Click the link below and use Code NONSTOP10 to get 10% OFF all amazing Level8 Luggage: https://www.clkmg.com/LEVEL8/NonStopEuroTrip

Today we’re back in Finland to ride on the inaugural journey of VR’s BRAND NEW ‘Pendolino Plus’ High-Speed train!

We’ll travel in a private compartment from Helsinki to Turku on these units that used to run the ‘Allegro’ service from Helsinki to St. Petersburg – but they have now had a full refurbishment and are the new Finnish Flagship train – So come along with me and let’s check them out together!

#Finland #VR #Helsinki #Turku #PendolinoPlus #Allegro #HighSpeedTrain

Date of Filming: 3/11/25
Camera: GoPro Hero 12 Black
Operator: VR (Finnish Railways)
Departure: Helsinki, Finland
Arrival: Turku, Finland
Cost (Dynamic Pricing): Base Fare – €10.90 (£9.52, $12.67)
Private Compartment – €21.50 (£18.95, $24.71)

Here is the link to the full VR onboard menu:
https://www.vr.fi/en/facilities-and-services/restaurant-car

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00:00 – Intro
01:20 – Arrival at Helsinki Central Station & Tour
02:22 – Pendolino Plus Platform Party
03:02 – Train & Route Information
04:16 – Let’s Board – First Impressions
05:10 – Level8: My Favourite Luggage
06:08 – Departure & Pricing
07:45 – Private Room Tour!
08:56 – Exploring the Train
11:00 – ‘Research’ in the Dining Car 🙂
12:14 – Calling at Karis
12:42 – Info on the Line
13:25 – Arrival in Turku
13:48 – Trip Summary & Outro