Longer and Heavier Trains (LHT)

Metsähallitus is the largest seller of wood in Finland and the second largest road operator in the country. Efficient transportation is important to both Metsähallitus and its clients, but also the environment, as transportation is the single largest source of the carbon emissions produced by Metsähallitus. Thus, increasing the loading capacity of the transports is a significant tool for reducing emissions. Metsähallitus aims to improve the efficiency of transportation and load more wood into each transport.

Metsähallitus has participated in testing using various high payload capacity trucks and trains. In road transport, these are referred to as High Capacity Transport (HCT) trials, whereas the trains are known as Longer and Heavier Trains (LHT). The purpose of these trial projects is to seek more cost-effective and eco-efficient solutions for transporting wood, without sacrificing safety.

A long train carrying raw timber can include up to 32 wagons instead of the previous 22 wagons. After the trial in 2018, some raw timber trains in northern Finland now consist of 27 wagons pulled by a new electric locomotive. Thus, the use has become routine. The use of longer trains is being expanded as new electric locomotives are deployed.

Location

The trains can be seen in Kemijärvi or Rovaniemi.

Recommended time for visiting

All-year round.

Contact person

Development specialist Ari Siekkinen, [email protected]

Partners

VR Transpoint, Metsä Group, Stora Enso.

Additional information

Increasing the Efficiency of Environmentally Friendly Rail Transport

Videos

Environmentally Friendly and Cost-Effective Wood Transport