VR Class Sm1

The electric multiple unit Sm1 is the oldest type of commuter train equipment still in active use by the Finnish national railway company VR. 50 Sm1 units were built between years 1968 and 1973 at Valmet's airplane factory in Tampere. The electric systems were developed and built by Strömberg at their plant in Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki. Nowadays all Sm1 units have been thorougly renovated and they bear the new red-and-white colours of VR.

Each Sm1 unit consists of two cars. Sm1 is actually the class of the motored carriage in the train unit. The other car is called a driving trailer and its class is Eio or Eiob. Altogether the Multiple Unit has 191 sitting places, including 14 foldable seats. Also the Sm1 end has a driver's cabin, which enables the train to be driven to both directions without turning it around, which brings a big benefit compared to locomotive-pulled trains in commuter traffic.

Six Sm1 units can be coupled together, but since the length of the Finnish train platforms isn't long enough, at most five units can be coupled in commercial traffic. It is possible seeing six Sm1 units coupled together during switching duties between the Ilmala depot and the station of Helsinki.

The maximum speed of an Sm1 unit is 120 km/h and they are numbered between 6001/6201 and 6050/6250 (The number of Sm1 car / The number of driving trailer)When the electrification of the Finnish railway network reached further away from Helsinki, more train units were needed. Those train units bear the class Sm2 and are technically very similar to the older Sm1, albeit there are also some differences between them, such as suspension (steel vs. air) and the lines supporting the structure on the sides.

It is technically very similar to the newer class Sm2, albeit there are also some differences between them, such as steel suspension and the lines supporting the structure on the sides.

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