Accessible train travel

Ticket vending machines

Ticket vending machines can be found at most railway stations. You can buy the most common train tickets and assistant’s tickets from a ticket vending machine.

The display, payment terminal and ticket printer of the ticket vending machine are located at a height of 80–120 cm. There is a button at the lower edge of the screen for shifting the screen display down.

Particularly those with impaired vision have been taken into consideration in the design of the ticket vending machine display, font size and display contrasts. The ticket vending machine confirms successful display choices with sound signals.

Ticket offices

The following stations have a ticket office:

• Helsinki
  

• Tampere
  

Most stations are not staffed and the service hours of the ticket office are limited.

Moving on the platform

• Most railway stations are primarily accessible. Read more about the station on our Railway stations and routes page.
  
• Some stations have lifts to make transfers easier.
  
• You can check the location of the car in the digital platform sign displays and go to the right sector on the platform.
  
• As a rule, the platform areas of stations have a warning line parallel to the tracks. In order to ensure safety, the line should not be crossed before the train has stopped at the platform.
  
• Please not that the passenger with disabilities or their personal assistant is always responsible for the disabled passenger boarding the train or getting off the train.
  
• Driving a car to the platform is always prohibited.
  

Boarding and getting off trains

• You can identify the service car of the train by the wheelchair icon on the car door and wall.
  
• The service car of an InterCity train can be entered accessibly by using a wheelchair ramp if the station has a high platform. In this case, the train entrance and platform are on the same level.
  
• The conductor of an InterCity train will provide assistance if the station has a low platform and a wheelchair ramp is required for moving.
  
• Pendolino trains always feature stairs.
  
• The service car on a Pendolino train can be accessed with a wheelchair lift. Please note that the weight limit of the lift is 250kg including the passenger.
  
• For safety reasons, only a passenger sitting in a wheelchair can be lifted with the lift. Pendolino trains have a wheelchair for assisting passengers with disabilities.
  
• Mobility scooters do not fit into a Pendolino train.
  
• The train conductor is always in charge of using the wheelchair ramp and lift. 
  
• For safety reasons, VR personnel or ordered assistants cannot lift the customer to or from a wheelchair.
  
• When travelling with a wheelchair on a railbus (Dm12), you can only use the wheelchair spaces in the train’s first unit. On the platform, you can move to where the front of the train will stop so that train personnel can notice you more easily and help you board the train.
  

The assistance service is available for passengers such as elderly passengers, individuals who use a wheelchair and individuals with impaired vision or hearing. Assistance is also available for disabled individuals as well as, for example, individuals on the autism spectrum and individuals with a memory disorder. The assistance service is free of charge.

Be realistic with regard to your own need for help if you cannot get on or off the train by yourself. No assistive devices are available at the stations except for Helsinki central railway station as well as Tampere and Kuopio stations, in which there is a wheelchair available.

You can book the assistance service for onboarding a long-distance, commuter or regional train from these stations:

Espoo, Helsinki, Hyvinkää, Järvenpää, Kerava, Kirkkonummi, Lahti, Leppävaara, Pasila, Riihimäki and Tikkurila.

In addition, you can book the assistance service for onboarding a long-distance train from these stations:

Hämeenlinna, Iisalmi, Imatra, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Kajaani, Karjaa, Kemi, Kemijärvi, Kokkola, Kolari, Kouvola, Kuopio, Kupittaa, Lappeenranta Mikkeli, Oulu, Pieksämäki, Pori, Rovaniemi, Salo, Seinäjoki, Tampere, Turku, Vaasa and Ylivieska.

How to order assistance service?

• Call VR’s customer support for accessible travel, tel. 0800 188 822 (free of charge) or visit the VR service point of a railway station.
  
• The assistance service should be booked 24 hours before the departure time of the train.
  
• Once your reservation is in order, you will receive an SMS confirmation of it approximately 1–2 hours after placing the reservation. 
  

When making a reservation, please provide the following information

• Travel date
  
• Journey
  
• Train numbers and departure times
  
• Car and seat numbers
  
• What kind of assistance you require
  
• Will there be mobility assistance devices with you, such as a wheelchair, walker
  
• Other luggage
  
• Your contact details 
  

This is how the service works

• Arrive at the rendezvous point of the station 20 minutes before the train departure time at the latest. You can recognise the rendezvous point at the station from the image attached.
  
• Your assistant will be a security officer or a taxi driver. You will recognise your assistant by the yellow high-visibility vest.
  
• Please note that for security reasons, the assistant cannot lift the customer to or from a wheelchair.
  
• If you cannot find the assistant you ordered at the station, please call customer support for accessible travel (0800 188 822 (free of charge)).
  

Assistance in boarding the train

• The assistant will help you all the way to your seat when your journey begins at the departure station of the train.
  
• The assistant will help you to your car if your journey begins at another station. 
  

Assistance in a change of train

• The assistant will pick you up from your seat or in front of the car, as agreed.
  
• The assistant will escort you to the right car at an intermediate station and to your seat at the train departure station.
  

Assistance in getting off the train

• The assistant will pick you up from your seat at the terminal station of the train.
  
• At other stations, the assistant will pick you up from your car.
  
• At the station, you will be escorted to the assistance point or a connection close to the station, such as a taxi station or bus stop. 
  

Changes in the travel plan?

If your plans are changed or your trip is cancelled, please report it by calling customer support for accessible travel, tel. 0800 188 822 (free of charge)or by visiting the VR service point. Please report any changes as soon as possible, preferably a minimum of 12 hours before the trip.

Not all Z and R trains have conductors. If you use a wheelchair, you can order a ramp service for the stations of Z and R trains:

Ainola, Haarajoki, Helsinki, Henna, Hyvinkää, Hämeenlinna, Iittala, Jokela, Järvenpää, Kerava, Lahti, Lempäälä, Mäntsälä, Riihimäki, Parola, Pasila, Ryttylä, Saunakallio, Tampere, Tikkurila, Toijala, Turenki, Viiala

The conductor or train driver will help you to get on and off the train by placing a wheelchair ramp between the platform and train. Please wait for assistance on the platform close to the front end of the train as your assistant could be the train driver.

The ramp service is meant for customers who want assistance with boarding and disembarking the train. We recommend ordering the ramp service for Sm4 train services between Helsinki and Lahti and Helsinki and Tampere (R and Z trains), if you want to make sure that getting on and off the train is smooth and effortless. Depending of the model of the wheelchair, the gap between the train and the platform may be too wide for getting on and off without the ramp.

Order the service by telephone or e-mail

• Order assistance by calling the VR customer support for accessible travel 0800 188 822 (free of charge), or by sending e-mail to ramppipalvelu@vr.fi
  
• You can order the service 36 hours before the trip at the earliest and 2 hours before the trip at the latest.
  
• The service is free of charge.
  
• If your plans are changed or your trip is cancelled, please report it by calling our customer support as soon as possible.
  

When placing an order, remember to report

• Your name
  
• Phone number
  
• Travel date
  
• Departure time
  
• Departure station
  
• Destination
  
• Your ability to move without any assistance
  

A guide, aid or hearing dog always travels with you free of charge.

In long-distance traffic, we recommend choosing a seat in the service car. In VR’s commuter traffic, you can travel in any passenger section with a guide, aid or hearing dog.

Guide, aid or hearing dogs on a night train

A guide, aid or hearing dog travels with you free of charge in the sleeping cabin of a night train, including the accessible sleeping cabin.

Mobility assistive devices

We transport mobility assistive devices on trains free of charge. Possible mobility assistive devices you can take onto a train include:

• Conventional wheelchair
  
• Electric wheelchair
  
• Walker
  
• Mobility scooter
  
• However, there is no room for mobility scooters on Pendolino train
  

You may carry the listed movement assistive devices onto the service carriage of an InterCity train and the accessible sleeper cabin of a night train. Unfortunately, the service carriage of a Pendolino train has room for two wheelchairs, but not for other assistive devices. Read more about the InterCity service car, Opens in a new tab and accessible cabins on the night train, Opens in a new tab.

Maximum dimensions for wheelchairs:

• Width 800 mm
  
• Length 1,250 mm
  
• Height 1,375 mm
  
• Turning circle 1,500 mm
  

Do you still have any questions? Call the toll-free number for accessible travel and we'll help (tel. 0800 188 822).

Other than mobility-related assistive devices

Devices other than mobility-related assistive devices for disabled passengers can primarily be taken on board free of charge. The devices must fit in the areas reserved for baggage. If you want to check whether a large assistive device, such as a shower chair, fits in the train’s baggage areas, please contact our customer service. If you want to ensure the availability of space, you can purchase a ticket for our assistive device. On day trains, you can purchase the second wheelchair space in the coach. On night trains, we recommend placing the assistive device in the paid baggage storage space. Assistive devices can also be transported in the wheelchair space as long as they fit in the area safely and do not take up space from the other wheelchair space.

Always make sure in advance that your mobility assistive device fits onto the train.

Unfortunately, electric wheelchairs or mobility scooters cannot be charged on the train.

Medical ventilators and CPAP devices should always be connected to a power supply through a battery because the power output of sockets is not uninterrupted.

The accessible sleeper cabins are suitable for one to two people and are located right next to the entrance door. An accessible sleeper cabin provides a comfortable way to travel and the cabin has two beds. 

• The cabin has an SOS button, support rails, a wheelchair-anchoring point, a socket and an automated cabin door (width 93.8 cm).
  
• Bunk bed (sleeps two), size 200 x 75 cm, with blankets, pillows and bedlinen.
  
• A face towel and a sink.
  
• Two sockets and free Wi-Fi.
  
• The cabin is a comfortable option for travelling with a personal assistant and a guide dog, an assistance dog or a hearing dog. Further information about the personal assistant’s ticket
  
• The accessible toilet is located opposite the cabin. 
  
• Medical ventilators and CPAP devices should be connected to a power supply always via a battery because the power output of sockets is not uninterrupted.
  
• There is storage space for baggage in the cabin (maximum measurements of baggage that can be stored in a cabin are 56 x 50 x 190 cm) and in the train’s baggage car. The conductor will help you take your baggage to the baggage car. Read more about baggage
  
• Air conditioning, temperature controller and blackout curtains make travelling pleasant.
  
• Berth-specific keycard, with one of the keys waiting for you in the cabin door. 
  
• The size of the cabin is 4 m².
  
• Unfortunately, the train does not have an accessible shower.
  
• Please note that you must bring your own water with you, because the train water is not drinkable and should not be used for brushing teeth.
  

Wheelchair space on a night train

You can also purchase a wheelchair space on your night train trip by choosing it at the time of purchasing.

Are you travelling on a night train that has no wheelchair space? Some of our routes are operated with trains that don't have wheelchair space and the only accessible way of travel is to book the accessible sleeper cabin. In this case, you can buy the cabin for the price of the wheelchair space. Please contact our customer service for accessible travel (tel. 0800 188 822, the call is free of charge) and we will help you book your trip.

The restaurant car is always located as close to the service car as possible on trains.

The wheelchair space of a Pendolino restaurant car is accessible from the service car next to it. The train personnel assists in taking food and beverages both to the restaurant car and service car wheelchair space.

The restaurant car of an InterCity train cannot be accessed with a wheelchair, but you can enjoy the products of the restaurant car from a wheelchair space. The train personnel will assist in taking restaurant products both to the wheelchair space and accessible sleeping compartment of a night train.

Wheelchair spaces are licensed for dispensing alcohol only to passenger who is in a wheelchair and their assistant.

Pendolino trains

• Width of the entrance door of the service car 78 cm
  
• Width of the inner door of the service car 76 cm
  
• Wheelchair lift size 74 x 110 cm
  
• Wheelchair lift weight limit 250 kg, including the passenger
  
• Width of corridor 61 cm
  
• Width of accessible toilet door100 cm
  
• Wheelchair space personnel call button and table
  

InterCity trains

• Width of accessible entrance door 92 cm
  
• Width of the inner door of the service car 89 cm
  
• Width of corridor 59 cm
  
• Width of accessible toilet door 90 cm
  
• Wheelchair ramp weight limit 250 kg, including the passenger
  

Accessible sleeping compartment on a night train

• Width of car entrance door 80 cm
  
• Width of accessible compartment door 93.8 cm
  
• Compartment size 4 m2
  
• Bed 200 x 75 cm
  
• The compartment features a wheelchair anchoring point and personnel call button
  

Railbuses

• Width of entrance door 130 cm
  
• Wheelchair lift size 74 x 103 cm
  
• Wheelchair lift weight limit 250 kg, including the passenger
  
• Width of accessible toilet door 82 cm
  

We sometimes have to replace trains with buses that do not have accessibility services.

If you use a wheelchair, we will arrange transport by accessible taxi for you in the following situations:

• If the replacement bus service is unexpected and it has been possible to buy a wheelchair space on the service.
  
• If you have already purchased a train ticket for a wheelchair space but the train does not have a service car.
  
• If there is a failure in the train during the journey and the replacement train is not accessible.
  
• If the accessible toilet of the train fails.
  

Do you have any questions that we have not answered yet? Please contact us by phone (0800 188 822 (free of charge)).

Our sales system currently places the personal assistant in a random seat without understanding where the person they are assisting is seated. However, the suggested seat can be changed during the booking process.

Have you already bought your ticket?

If you bought the ticket on vr.fi or the VR Matkalla app, you can change the personal assistant’s seat yourself. Changing the seat is free and you can do it while you are logged in. If you bought the trip at R-kioski, you can change your personal assistant’s seat by calling the accessible travel service number (0800 188 822 (free of charge)).

We are currently working on developing the seating options for our sales channels so that the personal assistant and the passenger needing assistance will automatically be assigned adjacent seats.

Yes, you can also enjoy the restaurant car products at the wheelchair space!

You can order the products in the VR Matkalla app by choosing delivery to seat. The selection of products that can be ordered via the app is a little smaller than usual, but ordering is extremely easy.

The conductor will also be happy to help you order restaurant car products for your seat that are not shown in the app. Payment is made by debit or credit card when the goods are delivered.