19 Oct 2026
A year ago, we announced that we would be naming Fenniarail’s locomotives based on Kalevala theme. This initiative was intended to mark the milestone of Fenniarail’s first ten years of operations. Now, all nine of Fenniarail’s current locomotives have been named, with each featuring its own name and an accompanying character illustration on its side. The character designs were created by Franz Design Oy.
Naming locomotives after characters from Finland’s national epic, Kalevala, is a practice rooted in history, as Finland’s very first locomotives were named after the Kalevala, reflecting the nationalistic spirit of the era. We view the naming of Fenniarail’s locomotives with Kalevala-themed names as a way to keep the original idea alive and as a tribute to Finnish identity and culture. While the characters themselves are traditional, they have been brought into the present day with a modern touch.
Over the past year, we have shared the locomotives’ names and character illustrations, as well as the stories of the characters on our social media channels. Below are Fenniarail’s current locomotives by unit number and name:
Vectron electric locomotive 201 – Ilmatar
Vectron electric locomotive 202 – Aino
Vectron electric locomotive 203 – Ahti
Dr18 diesel locomotive 101 – Joukahainen
Dr18 diesel locomotive 102 – Ilmarinen
Dr18 diesel locomotive 103 – Lemminkäinen
Dr18 diesel locomotive 104 – Tapio
Dr18 diesel locomotive 105 – Kyllikki
Dr18 diesel locomotive 106 – Väinämöinen
Fenniarail will continue to use Kalevala-inspired names for its locomotives in the future. The next to receive names will be two new Vectron electric locomotives ordered from Siemens Mobility, which are set to arrive in Finland in the autumn of 2027.