The Ukraine war halted this Finland-Russia HS fleet, now it’s back: rebranded, but fully Finnish

The Finland-Russia High-Speed Train Service Resumes Under New Ownership

Once a symbol of EU-Russia cooperation, the Pendolino Allegro trains connected Helsinki and St. Petersburg with high-speed service operated jointly by Finland and Russia's state-backed companies. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused this partnership to collapse, leaving the advanced trains inactive and deteriorating.

Now fully owned by Finland’s VR, the trains have been rebranded as Pendolino Plus and exclusively serve domestic routes within Finland, reflecting Finland’s clear separation from its eastern neighbor.

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"Now fully owned by VR, the trains are back on the tracks, rebranded as Pendolino Plus and exclusively serving domestic routes as Finland definitively decouples from its eastern neighbour."

Author’s summary: The Pendolino Allegro trains, once a Finland-Russia symbol, have returned as Pendolino Plus to serve Finnish domestic routes, marking a clear shift away from Russian ties after the Ukraine war.

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RailTech.com RailTech.com — 2025-11-07

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