protest against closing the stop in Haukivuori at the railway square on May
3rd 2014
Haukivuori railway station in 1900.
On Saturday May 3rd 2014 the whole village of Haukivuori has taken
action in the imminent closing of the stop in Haukivuori. It is
unbelievable that after 125 years this stop has to be ended to get a
speed reduce of 3 minutes between Kouvola and Kuopio under the head
of more service to the customer. In the view of VR officials over 12
000 people are no longer customer.
Once the center of the village has been replaced from kirkonkylä to
asema because of the railway and behind their desks officials.
without any historical awareness are destroying the connection with
the past. Only to create an airplane on rails from Kouvola to
Kuopio, which competition they will certainly loose.
The railway square was full of people to show their
involvement with the protest against closing the stop in
Haukivuori. The planned time savings of 3 minutes are
absolute irrelevant related to the distance and the fact
that just before this stop train has to reduce speed because
of a huge curve, which cannot be changed.
EU parliament member Tarja Cronberg (Green Party) supported the
protest by attending the meeting on the railway square.
The Haukivuoren Aluejohtokunta has sent their objections to the
governmental officials by the following letter:
HAUKIVUOREN ALUEJOHTOKUNNAN TIEDOTE 22.4.2014
Haukivuoren aluejohtokunta on kokouksessaan 17.4.2014
yksimielisesti hyväksynyt Mikkelin kaupungin hallitukselle,
VR-konsernin johtoryhmälle ja hallintoneuvostolle sekä
liikenneministerille ja liikenneministeriölle lähetettävät
kannanotot koskien VR:n suunnitelmaa lakkauttaa junien pysähtyminen
Haukivuorella 11.8.2014 alkaen.
Kannanottojen yhdistelmä ja esitykset/vetoomukset alla:
JUNAVUOROJEN LAKKAUTTAMISUHKA HAUKIVUORELLA
Aluejohtokunta pitää VR:n suunnitelmaa Haukivuorella asuvien tai
sinne matkustavien ihmisten liikkumismahdollisuuksia merkittävästi
rajoittavana, kansalaisia epätasa-arvoisesti kohtelevana sekä koko
maaseutumaisen Mikkelin vetovoimaisuutta ja tavoitettavuutta
oleellisesti heikentävänä hankkeena. Lisäksi se aiheuttaa verovaroin
tuetun julkisen liikenteen täysin tarpeetonta ja päällekkäistä
lisäämistä. Suunnitelma on myös liikenne- ja viestintäministeriön ja
VR 3.7.2013 tekemän vuoden 2024 loppuun saakka voimassa olevan
yksinoikeussopimuksen jatkosopimuksen vastainen.
Edellä olevaan perustuen Haukivuoren aluejohtokunta yksimielisesti
esittää, että Mikkelin kaupungin hallitus ja valtuusto hyväksyy
yksimielisesti kannanoton, jossa VR:n aikeista lopettaa junien
pysähtyminen Haukivuorella 11.8.2014 tulee luopua ja, että
kannanotto saatetaan huhtikuun aikana liikenneministeriön ja VR:n
johdon sekä eduskunnan poliittisten ryhmien tietoon.
vetoaa, että VR luopuu suunnitelmastaan lopettaa junien pysähtyminen
Haukivuorella 11.8.2014 alkaen.
vetoaa, että liikenneministeri ja liikenneministeriö estävät VR-yhtymää
toteuttamasta suunnitelmaansa lopettaa junien pysähtyminen
Haukivuorella 11.8.2014 alkaen.
Haukivuoren aluejohtokunta
The complete paper can be read in the attached PDF file
HAUKIVUOREN ALUEJOHTOKUNNAN TIEDOTE 22.4.2014
The petition to support this letter has to be signed by all who
are involved in the future of this village.
http://www.adressit.com/vastustamme_haukivuoren_junaliikenteen_lopettamista
On different places in the villages citizens were able to sign the
petition, which was done by many persons in Haukivuori.
other related articles in the news papers:
http://www.lansi-savo.fi/mielipide/lukijoilta/lukijalta-vr-maksattaa-haukivuoren-ohiajon-kansalla-137114
by Petri P. Pentikäinen
http://www.lansi-savo.fi/mielipide/lukijoilta/lukijalta-aika-k%C3%A4yd%C3%A4-taistoon-l%C3%A4hijunan-puolesta-137113
by Sakari Kestinen
http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/a1398306082255 by Katja Boxberg
An interesting link to an article "how
high speed trains are killing the European railway network" is
an eye-opener and interesting for those decision makers who have to
take in account that speed is not the main element in public
transport.
The change to 'market, privatization and cost effective' economy is
another item and this has
closed the mind of policy makers for the dismantling of a cohesive
and engaged Finnish society. Public services are the victims of this
non-social behavior.
In the press release "Finland’s
transport policy lines for the future set out" of 12.4.2014 the
Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications informed about the
planned strategy for transport.
"Investments to be made - rail transport in focus
Focus of transport funding will be shifted from new investment to
maintenance of the existing transport network. Smooth everyday
mobility of people is particularly important. At its discussion on
spending limits on 22 March 2012, the Government agreed which
transport investment projects are to be launched during this term of
office. It made a historic decision in allocating more funding to
rail projects than to roads. In an effort to improve punctuality of
trains, ground frost damage will be repaired on all sections of the
rail network, and the capacity of the main rail line will be raised
in the south of Finland. These measures will have a positive impact
on the punctuality of train services in all parts of the country. "
PDF file with the
press release of 12.4.2012
In 2014 it seems VR is focusing on 'punctuality' as they are
planning to close some small stops to win 3 minutes on a journey of
1.43 at the line Kouvola-Pieksämäki. In
VR-leaks
is written that the whole suggestion of more efficiency is fake.
PDF file with the
VR-leaks
report
The result of this immense deduction of the journey has more impact
on the development of rural regions as any official behind their
desk can imagine. Focusing on high speed and as less stops as
possible will finally kill this transport.
One of the tasks of public transport is to connect different places
with each other and to guarantee that people in even isolated
regions are able to have a social life. As the national government
is concentrating public services in cities and reducing the services
in small villages public transport is often the only way to be able
to use these services.
It would show the involvement of the regional and national
government when an innovative vision on this matter would be
developed.
Is it is not possible to invest in a commuter train along the closed
railway stations?
Is it not possible to use the track in different ways than it is
traditional?
Closing the last stops along a long distance line is the end of the
national policy of living rural communities.
An interesting article by Kris de Decker in LOW-TECH MAGAZINE
about the way how high speed trains are killing the European railway
network.
PDF file with the article
HIGH SPEED TRAINS ARE KILLING THE EUROPEAN RAILWAY NETWORK
"Yield-management pricing style
Not only Italian rail operators, but for example also Finnish rail
operators have introduced these pricing mechanisms. It indeed
increased the income of the train company, but of course at the
expense of the customers. The promotional fares induce demand, while
regular passengers see their costs increased. It is a pricing system
that does not belong in public transportation.
By the way, even without yield management high speed trains would
have considerably higher ticket fares than low speed trains (because
building and operational costs are higher)"
Kris De Decker
"Airlines and cars compete with trains, but the railways themselves
have decided to kill their own products. They could as well have
decided to invest the money in lower fares and more comfortable
trains -- so that people could sleep better -- instead of in
building a whole new high speed rail network. Just imagine how the
low speed network would look if it would have received all the money
that is being invested in high speed rail."
Kris De Decker
Old map the Finnish railway in 1905 concerning.
|