SAVON-RADAN ryhmä





  • Savon Radan ryhmä organizes activities along the historical Savo line







protest against closing the stop in Haukivuori at the railway square on May 3rd 2014


railway station Haukivuori in 1900

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.

protest on Haukivuori railway station on Saturday May 3
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.

protest on Haukivuori railway station on Saturday May 3

protest on Haukivuori railway station on Saturday May 3

protest on Haukivuori railway station on Saturday May 3

protest on Haukivuori railway station on Saturday May 3

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

 map of the Finnish railway in 1905

Old map the Finnish railway in 1905 concerning.

 


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