Finnair offers air-to-rail connection to Saint Petersburg with VR Finnair and Finnish railway operator VR are cooperating to offer combined air-and-rail tickets between Saint Petersburg and international destinations connecting via Helsinki. Finnair begins selling the combined tickets on 1 October 2014, and the first Allegro train connection with AY code will be on 1 December 2014. Combined tickets will enable customers flying throughout Finnair’s network in Europe, Asia and North America to connect to and from Saint Petersburg on the high-speed Allegro train, which takes 3 hours and 36 minutes between Helsinki’s Central Railway Station and Saint Petersburg’s Finland Station. Passport and customs procedures are carried out on board the train while en route, saving customers’ time and allowing for a smooth passenger experience. The new intermodal ticket allows stopovers in Helsinki, enabling customers with business in both cities to make a single booking while also giving leisure travellers the opportunity to take time to explore the Finnish capital region. “The convenient Allegro train with its two daily frequencies in both directions is a great complement to our twice-daily Saint Petersburg flights,” says Finnair CEO Pekka Vauramo. “Working together with VR, we can effectively extend the catchment area of Helsinki Airport while also helping bring greater numbers of business and leisure travellers to Helsinki. We believe intermodality offers interesting potential for enhancing connections for travellers.” "Together with Finnair we are offering a new and interesting opportunity for those travelling to and from Saint Petersburg," says Mikael Aro, CEO of VR. "We believe this is an attractive offer for international travellers." The minimum connecting time for passengers making an intermodal transfer is currently 2 hours and 45 minutes. The most convenient transfer is via the Finnair City Bus, departing from Helsinki Airport and the Central Railway Station approximately every 20 minutes. In mid-2015 a rail link from Tikkurila Station to Helsinki Airport will be completed, making possible a seamless transfer from the Allegro train straight to the airport.
De to statsselskaber, SAS og DSB, burde forlængst have gjort noget tilsvarende for at løfte udkantsdanmark.
Jeg har endnu til gode at se det i udkantsdanmark der kan hamle op med Skt Petersborg... Men derfor kan vi da godt lege med tanken især når man nu kunne køre direkte fra CPH. Hvor ville vi forestiller os et tog skulle tage folk hen hvis man holder sig til samme tankegang som finnerne?
Når jeg rejser med DSB, er der gratis forbindelse til bus i begge ender. Noget tilsvarende kunne man gøre med flybilletter. Så hvis man bor i Esbjerg, er der gratis tog til Billund med flybilletten. Det kunne også tiltrække turister, hvis de kunne komme gratis fra lufthavnen til hotellet uden at skulle finde ud af det håbløse billetsystem.
