All language subtitles for The Worlds Most Scenic Railway Journeys S02E06 1080p WEB DL H264 BTN_track3_[eng]

Join us on an extraordinary journey
through one of the world's

most northern countries.

On a railway line that penetrates
the thickest of forests...

..passes vast frozen lakes...

..and runs all year round, no matter
how tough the conditions.

It's extremely hard work.

A route that endures freezing
temperatures...

We are crazy, we are Finnish,
so that's normal.

..and has suffered
extraordinary destruction.

The Germans felt betrayed.

On their way out, they
destroyed everything.

We'll meet the people who live
and work

along this very special train line.

This is no ordinary railway journey.

This is one of the most scenic
railway journeys in the world...

..Finland.

Finland, the hidden gem of
Northern Europe.

During winter, a fairy tale
landscape of snow and ice.

Our rail trip begins in the capital,
Helsinki, at its magnificent

Art Nouveau Central Station.

Waiting at the platform
is our intercity train

with a powerful Sr2 locomotive
and double-deck passenger coaches,

powered by overhead electricity

and capable of producing
6,100 kilowatts,

or over 8,000 horsepower,

it can reach speeds of up to 130mph.

Our journey will take us
from Helsinki on the south coast,

to Kemijarvi in the far north.

The first stage is through
Finland's lake district to Mikkeli,

and then onto the city of Kuopio.

At Lake Oulujarvi, we
travel north west

towards Oulu and the Baltic Sea.

From there, we skirt the icy
coastline before turning inland

for Rovaniemi, Lapland's capital.

After more than 600 miles,
we'll arrive at our destination

inside the Arctic Circle.

It's winter, and even though our
train is departing at 8.38 in the
morning,

Helsinki is so far north,
it's still dark.

Our conductor on board
today is Joseph.

Now we are going with a
double-deck intercity train

and the capacity of
this train is about 600.

This part of our trip is
from Helsinki to Mikkeli,

a two-and-a-half-hour journey
through a wintry wonderland.

It may look cold outside,

but there's always hot
Finnish delicacies on offer.

I'm working in the restaurant car

and we make some coffee and
tea for the customers

and some meatballs.

Meatballs and mash might be
recognised the world over,

but not that much is known
about the Finns themselves.

Finnish people are maybe a bit shy
and nice, polite, very honest,

and we do our best to help you.

Outside, the wide, flat landscape is
soon hidden by forest,

with three quarters of
the countryside,

almost 90,000 square miles,

covered in woodland, it's a view our
passengers soon get used to.

I picked up this place here
in the upper floor

so that I can look at the scenery.

Because if I'm downstairs, there
are only trees, trees, trees.

Now I can see the scenery here.

But if the view doesn't
interest you,

you can always visit the train's
dedicated playroom.

Isla loves travelling
in the train.

ISLA SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY

On board today are a mixture of
families, tourists and commuters.

I live in Helsinki, but
I work in Kuopio.

So, I take this train,
like, once a week.

We just really loved
travelling by train. Yeah.

And, yeah, especially during the
winter, it's really beautiful.

Among the passengers is Finnish
rail historian Sakari Salu.

When Finland got its
first railway, 1862,

we were a part of Russian Empire.

This time it was very hard
time for Finnish people.

We had very, very cold summers
and people were suffering.

During the 1860s, when the early
railways were being built,

Finland was in the midst
of a devastating famine.

They were hungry and there
were many diseases

because people were not
in strong health.

And there were many people who died.

Half a century later, in 1917,

Finland gained its
independence from Russia.

But even today, its trains still
retain the wider Russian gauge.

The impetus behind the new
railways was economic

to support what was then Finland's
most important industry, timber.

First, it was only the raw
material which was transported

to foreign countries.

Nowadays, the wood is still one
of our main materials.

At its height, pulp, paper and wood
from Finland's forests

made up 80% of its exports,

most of it transported to
the coast by train.

So, we can say that our forests
are good for the railways...

..and the economy.

Passengers, next stop Mikkeli.

I hope a nice day to everyone
who is getting off in Mikkeli.

From Mikkeli a branch line takes

you past a disused station that's
almost literally frozen in time.

I call this place my time capsule.

This is our station's office.

This is interop system from 1956,

the only in Finland working.

There are now green light
for a train, which is going south.

Rail enthusiast Pietari bought
Kalvitsa's old railway buildings

in 2009 and has worked hard
to take it back to its heyday.

This was empty
building. when I bought this

and now this is a bit
like wonderland from '60s.

I'm a little boy here again.

This is Telex.

It's like e-mail today.

In railways, they could send
messages using this.

PHONE RINGS

This telephone system is from
'70s and it's fully working.

These chairs are from
'60s, from Finnish trains.

These are from 65
and these from 1960.

And people can sit and
drink coffee or tea.

In fact, Pietari's vintage
station cafe has proved so popular

it's become the social hub
of the village.

I think this cafe is
unique in a way, like,

where can you find
places like this?

This place reminds people that
older times were happy times.

As our train heads north, it
now enters the heart of Finland,

a place filled with vast frozen
lakes and forests

where man has had to learn to live
hand in hand with nature.

Finnish look after the forest and
forest look after that Finnish.

We're at the second stage of our
train journey through Finland.

From Helsinki, we travelled
170 miles to Mikkeli.

Now we continue north
towards the city of Kuopio.

Even though Finland is about 25%
bigger than the UK,

its population is just 5.5 million,

making it one of the most sparsely
populated countries in Europe.

So, there's plenty of space.

The quietness and just the nature.

And the fact you don't see in any
houses for a long time when
you travel,

I think that's something that
is special and worth preserving.

On either side of the tracks,

enormous pine, spruce and birch
forests stretch into the distance.

Over half are privately owned.

In fact, one in ten Finns
own a forest.

My family has lived here
in this area about 320 years.

Jukka Karvonen is the
descendant of at least ten

generations of foresters.

This is my family
and my relatives here.

In this picture, we see
very heavy logs, very big logs.

They only have their hands
to carry them over 100 kilos.

Just have to...

You can see how hard work it was.

Even as a young boy, Jukka
was soon put to work.

These trees, I plant them
when I was ten years old.

It was hard work to have to stay
here and plant this forest.

Over three days, Jukka planted
more than 1,000 saplings.

When you look at it now,

I don't regret that I have this
few days working here.

I'm proud of it.

It's makes me some way emotional.

But they still are young trees.

It will be another 20 years before
Jukka's trees are ready

to be cut down.

Something, rather surprisingly
for a forester,

he's not looking forward to.

When you know that yourself
you planted it.

They were so small and
they are now so big.

I have to fight it inside me with
myself, what shall I do this forest?

Do I cut it or do I let it grow?

But as planting trees is
always a long-term investment,

Jukka probably won't
have to make that decision.

When you think about forestry
owning,

we don't work for ourself,
but those who come after us.

My grandparents plants the
trees I harvest

and I plant the trees my
grandchild harvest.

For Jukka, forestry is not only
in HIS blood,

but also Finland's.

Finnish people have the most
emotional contact in the land.

I can say that Finnish
are safe in forest.

Finnish look after the forest and
forest look after the Finnish.

When you have forest, it gives
you perspective for your whole life.

Working as a forester is tough
and demanding, especially

since the best time to fell trees
is in the depths of winter.

Luckily, over the past 40 years,
the equipment has improved.

This takes care of everything.

It's so much easier today
with these modern machines to do

the job which I am doing now.

100 years ago, it took at least
two lumberjacks one hour

to cut down and load a large spruce.

Now to fell, de-limb,
cut to length...

..and load takes just over a minute.

There was a little bit of
broken wood. I take that away.

I love my work, it's
like a jet operator.

Today, 25% of Finland's timber

is still transported to the paper
mills and ports by train.

Our own journey has now reached
the lakeside city of Kuopio,

four hours north of Helsinki.

Kuopio is really a
charming, small city and

it's surrounded by Lake Kallavesi,

so you see water almost everywhere.

There are more than
188,000 lakes in Finland.

But during the winter, most of them
are covered in around

half a metre of ice.

Those white places, they are lakes.

But if you don't know that
they are lakes,

you could imagine they are fields.

We are used to it.

People think that it is not
winter unless it is cold.

During the year, temperatures in
Finland can range from minus 30

to over 30 degrees Celsius.

We have a real winter,

we have real summer.

We have real autumn and
a real spring.

Whatever the season, though,
the Finns do love a sauna.

And a short walk from
the Kuopio station

brings you to one of
the city's busiest.

Saunas are so popular in Finland
that there are more than two million

across the country.

Almost one for every two Finns.

And once you've warmed up,
it's time for a refreshing dip...

..even when Lake Kallavesi's
frozen over.

The temperature is right now, I
think it's lower than zero.

And it's quite cold.

A pump has to be used to keep
the icy waters moving.

Without it, the surface
would soon freeze.

Some people, they think I'm crazy a
little bit.

I think it's quite traditional
for Finnish people.

Finns, though, swear by the
healing effects of a hot sauna

followed by a cold plunge.

I feel very well when I do this.

I feel more alive.

I have done this about 20 years.

Said to increase blood flow

and reduce aches and pains, as well
as release a flood of endorphins,

around 100,000 Finns take a sauna
and ice-cold dip like this

at least once a week.

We are crazy. We are Finnish.

So that's normal.

Just a mile and a half
from Kuopio station

is the city's most famous
landmark, Puijo Tower.

Opened in 1963 and 75 metres high,
a revolving restaurant at the top

offers diners fine Finnish food

as well as a 360-degree view

of the lake, forests and ski jumps.

This goes around like once
per every hour,

so the rotation of the
restaurant is one hour, so

you can see different scenery when
you're having a nice dinner here.

The food that we serve here at
Puijo Tower Restaurant

is all locally produced,
at least from Finland.

We forage mushrooms, wild herbs,
and then all the fish comes

from the lake that's
surrounding us.

Fishing in lakes and foraging in
forests for wild mushrooms

and arctic berries is a popular
pastime across the whole of Finland.

And today we are serving our main
course up of a white perch

from Lake Kallavesi.
So, about 3km away from here.

and the garnish for that
is the potato.

And the potatoes come
from about 15km away.

And it's served also with
pickled carrots

and a chevril butter sauce.

It's been really nice to know just
how much people actually appreciate

the local ingredients and
kind of traditional recipes.

After Kuopio, our double-decker
inter city continues north,

travelling through Finland's lake
district towards the Kainuu region,

around the top of Lake Oulujarvi
and on towards the city of Olou

and the Baltic coast.

It is pretty much forests and lakes,
but the lakes are spectacular.

With an area of 358 square miles,

Lake Oulujarvi is more than 66 times

the size of England's
biggest, Windermere,

and it's only the fifth
largest in Finland.

We have one of the biggest lakes.

Somebody says that it's a kind
of sea, but it's only a lake.

Pasi grew up near the
shores of Lake Oulujarvi.

This is a beach. We always
swimming in the summertime.

I think that this very
beautiful landscapes in here.

We have many hills, lakes
and rivers in this area.

The lakes and rivers may look
beautiful even in winter.

But for the builders of this section
of railway, they were a nightmare.

It takes so many years to build this

because there are many
rivers to bridge

and of course, we have many swamps.

The line between here and the coast
is just over 100 miles long.

But because the terrain
is so awkward,

it took five years to complete.

Today, though, all the
hard work's forgotten

and our fellow passengers
simply enjoy the view.

Every time I pass lakes, it's
like every time you get,

like, a different kind of a
scenery and it's beautiful.

Four hours and 17 minutes
after leaving Kuopio,

our train arrives in the
city of Olou.

It's also the base for the
region's biggest rail yard.

This depot is running
24-7, 365 days per year.

So, basically, we are always
here for maintaining trains.

After travelling the icy lakes
and snow-covered forests

of central Finland,

it's time for our train to
receive some much-needed attention.

I am taking snow off the train.

It takes, like, one hour to two
hours to clean one sector.

Despite appearances, the vast amount
of snow and ice stuck to the bottom

of the train is not a problem
for Yoonas and his team.

Basically, with the snow
and ice, we are fine,

but the humidity in, like,

an air system is quite a
big problem for us.

Over our 650-mile journey north
from Helsinki to Lapland,

the outside
temperature will drop so much

that it can cause major
brake failure.

Finland is a quite long
country that when we start

running from Helsinki it
could be like plus five.

And when you end up,
it could be minus 40.

That's quite difficult for us.

But because brakes
are working by air

and if we have water or
humidity in the brake systems

those will get ice.

If there is condensation or ice
in the air brake system,

our train's wheels could lock.

And then we have problems.

But it's not only the trains
that need regular maintenance.

In Britain, even a sprinkling
of snow can cause delays.

But here in northern Finland,
it's a very different story.

Our job is to keep the train moving.

Keep the snow off the rails,
switches, level crossing.

With temperatures often
as low as minus 30,

Yuha and his colleagues must check
and clear every mile of track.

We're sing the excavators
plus a snow blower.

It's extremely hard work.

All weather, all day.

Once the train and tracks are clear
of ice, it's time for us to leave

Olou and head north into Lapland...

..and across the Arctic Circle.

Our train journey through Finland
has now reached Lapland...

..the country's most
northern region.

Our first stop is the town of Kemi

before we turn to the northeast
for the Arctic Circle

and Lapland's capital, Rovaniemi.

Kemi is the base for enormous
icebreakers,

and just a mile from the railway
station,

the world's biggest snow castle.

This castle, it is made
from sea water.

There is about six million litres
of water in this castle.

This far north, it's so cold that
the giant SnowCastle

can be built out of sea water.

We need minus 70 so we can take
the water from the sea just nearby

and take it through the pumps.

And - PRSH - with the pressure,
we can make the mountain of snow.

The buildings, that can be as large
as 20,000 square metres,

are then created
by spraying the snow

over enormous inflatable bubbles.

And we are putting the snow
on the top of the forms

and then we wait a little bit
and then we take the forms off.

For example, this one, it has been a
very, very big ball

and it was full of air.

And then they are putting
the snow on the top.

And after the snow is hard,

they are just - PIEU -
taking the air off

and take the ball off and we get
a castle shaped like this.

The SnowCastle even
has its very own snow chapel.

This place we are now,
it is our small church.

And every year here in SnowCastle,

many couples are getting married.

That means that your
heart is very warm

if you are getting married here.

Whether it's in the
bedroom or the bar,

each wall has been decorated with
imaginative ice carvings.

And every carving, they have some
meaning, which they are carving.

And this one here, it is a tree
of life, which is connecting

all the people all over the world

because it is in our mythology
here in Finland, it is in Vikings,

it is in Bible and it is in
China and India, everywhere.

Everything here is either made
from snow or carved out of ice,

including the drinking cups.

Once the visitors have left, keeping
the castle snow white,

even after a spilt coffee, involves
a lot more than a quick wipe down.

But like all good things,
the SnowCastle

will eventually come to an end.

And in this case, when the weather
warms up around mid April.

And what is the best of SnowCastle
is that all the snow,

you can see, is recycled.

So, when the summer is
coming, we have to crash this one.

And we are putting it back to
sea and then next year

we are taking it back.

After Kemi, our train journey
leaves the coast and heads inland

towards the capital of Lapland,

Rovaniemi.

Located 66 degrees north,
the city is right on the edge

of the Arctic Circle.

75 years ago, though, Rovaniemi
station was at the very centre

of an enormous explosion.

Local guide Frank
explains what happened.

We have to talk a bit about the war
history, the Second World War.

In 1941, Finland,

terrified that the Soviet Union
might invade from the east,

decided to join forces with Germany.

There are quite many Germans
living in this town.

Actually, the town doubled in size
during the Second World War

because all the soldiers,

they had to live somewhere,
dare to eat somewhere.

So, for local shopkeepers,
this was a great thing.

By June 1944, though, the German
army was on the back foot

and the Russians on the offensive.

In 1944, we knew that the Germans
were going to lose the war.

So Finland had to find
a solution with Russia.

And so we made a peace agreement.

Unfortunately, there were over
200,000 German soldiers

in Finland at the time.

And feeling betrayed, they weren't
leaving without a fight.

This is not the original
Rovaniemi station.

The station that we had
before was blown up.

The original station, there was
ammunition train parked next to it.

And when the train blew up,
that explosion was enormous.

The previous station just
disappeared completely.

Was it the Germans who blew it up?

Was it the Finnish army
who blew it up?

We still don't know.

The station wasn't the only casualty
of the German withdrawal.

When the Germans retreated, they
destroyed the whole city.

It was either burned or bombed.

So, over 90% of the buildings
in this town were destroyed.

When the first people arrived
after the Germans have left,

they called this town
the Chimney Point

because the chimneys were the
only things left standing.

All the wooden houses were either
bombed or burned down.

Once the war was over, Finland's
most famous architect, Alvar Aalto,

was given the task of
rebuilding Rovaniemi.

But besides designing
the actual buildings,

he also designed
the layout of the town.

And it was while planning
the layout that Aalto noticed

something unusual, that the land,
roads, rivers and railways

created the shape of a
reindeer's head.

So, as the reindeer is the symbol
of Lapland, Rovaniemi, its capital,

it was worth highlighting.

It's quite cool.

It really looks like a reindeer.

And over here we see the
eye of the reindeer,

that is the soccer stadium.

Today, it has grown into a
sprawling city of 63,000 people

with the majestic
Lumberjack's Candle Bridge

dominating its skyline.

Aalto's reindeer head is now
absorbed into the surrounding
suburbs.

I think people at Rovaniemi, they
do know about it,

but it's not really well known,
I would say.

I think if somebody moved to
Rovaniemi, they would be not aware

that actually the street map is
modelled after a reindeer.

The world-renowned
architect Alvar Aalto

may have had a sense of fun,

but just five miles north
of his new station...

there's the official
Arctic residence

of someone even more fun loving -

Santa Claus.

I'm here at my office
every day of the year.

I'm meeting visitors and my friends.

People are coming here with
their wishes and dreams

and we are talking here
and they have some fun here.

My favourite day of the year?

I think it's every day when I
see happy people.

And I think I see
happy people here every day.

As well as welcoming over half a
million visitors

to his Arctic home each year,

Santa also receives another
half a million letters

from around the world.

Oh, some nice letters.

This is from Italy.

I think that's me.

Every letter addressed to
Father Christmas ends up here.

Well, this is Santa
Claus' main post office.

And I'm a post elf.

And with so many letters to read,
Santa's elves don't just make toys.

Our elves, they are very
well-behaved and hardworking.

In these piles, here, I have
letter from, for example, Italy

and United Kingdom, piles from
Germany, United States, Switzerland.

The letters to Santa Claus,
they come from all over the world.

He has received letters
from over 200 countries.

So, we are definitely not
sitting with our feet up.

But it's not just elves
that are kept busy.

When they're not pulling Santa,
Rudolph and his fellow reindeers

are happy to take you out for
a spin through the snow.

And if you can't make it on the
train journey to Santa's home,

don't worry, you won't be forgotten.

Now, you, I mean just you there.

I remember you have been quite
good last year,

but I hope you're going to be
good this year too.

So, behave and have fun.

See you at Christmas.

We're now only 54 miles
from our final destination.

And as we venture across the
Arctic Circle,

we have a first-class view.

When the sun is rising,
it's beautiful.

Yes, I love it, my job.

We are now at the final stage of our
epic train journey through Finland.

From Rovaniemi, we will travel 54
miles northeast towards the town

of Kemijarvi, a gateway to
Lapland's wild open spaces.

It's 7am and minus 18 degrees.

Our river, Mikko, is about to
carry out his final checks.

Yeah, everything looks OK.

PHONE RINGS

SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

CONTROL:

We're good to go now.

Soon sparks fly as our electric
train rushes through the ice
and snow.

This time of the year, the typical
temperature is running

between minus 15 and
minus 35 degrees.

Over the next hour, Mikko
will drive our train through some

of Finland's most stunning scenery.

Yeah, it's nice to drive the
train when the sun is rising.

It's beautiful.

Yes, I love it, my job.

The surrounding
forests might seem quiet,

but our driver can't afford
to be complacent.

I need to keep my focus on the
railways all the time

because we have lots
of animals here.

In Lapland, there are around 200,000
reindeer roaming through the snowy
woodland.

Very often, we see reindeers
on the track.

Very dangerous accidents
happen too, often.

No reindeers on the track so far.

And that is good.

Today, our train provides
a vital link

between Lapland's
capital, Rovaniemi,

and the small lakeside
town of Kemijarvi,

a place so dependent on the railway
that its economy would soon collapse

if the track were closed.

A few years ago, though,
the government decided

to do just that.

In 2005, there was a horrible
news in the radio and TV.

They will have stopped all
train traffic from Rovaniemi

to Kemijarvi.

No goods traffic, no timber traffic.

Everything stopped.

Economically, problems.

Problems with tourists.

Everything.

It was horrible news,
what's happened. Oh, boy.

With new electric trains being
introduced throughout the country,

this old track would need
converting.

But as far as the government-run
railways are concerned,

it simply wasn't worth it.

They say that it's too expensive.

We felt that the
government had forgot us.

That was the feeling.

Realising the end of the
railway would be a catastrophe

for their town, the locals
decided to fight back.

Two businesswomen began to contact,
everywhere, politics, media

and then began the railway
rebellion.

The message was to government,

"Don't forget Lapland, don't cut
the railways off from Lapland.

"We need the railways."

Despite their pleas, the government
decided they could afford

to forget Lapland.

In December, 2006, the last train
from Kemijarvi left the station.

A very sad day.

Abandoned by the government,
Kemijarvi

and its 7,500 residents now
faced a very uncertain future.

With the local economy crashing,

young residents began to leave.

It was clear the small
town was dying.

Then two years later,
something unexpected happened.

First March, 2008, a new fine night
train came to Kemijarvi.

And it was a wonderful festival in
Kemijarvi.

It was so positive.

A very great surprise.

Their railway rebellion HAD made
an impression after all.

The railway station was
full of people.

Hundreds of hundred people

were welcoming the new
night train from Helsinki.

It was a miracle.

The town of Kemijarvi was
finally back on the rail map.

We are now approaching to Kemijarvi.

And it's our last stop.

In schedule, right on time.

For Kemijarvi, the train
is the town's main link

to the outside world.

In fact, anyone who moves
here is known as a Junantuomat,

a train traveller like Tytti.

So, we are now on top of Suoma,

it's the ski resort here
in Kemijarvi.

And it's our diamond.

Like our own train journey, Tytti
left the busy streets and crowds

of Helsinki and travelled
north through Finland

to enjoy the wild beauty of Lapland.

You can see the lakes forests.

It's just something that
you cannot explain by words.

You have to experience that.

Here, even the trees are
different than the other places.

Here you can see all the trees
are covered by snow.

This is my paradise here.

So I never could imagine to
leave this place.

It's a kind of
relaxing way of life.

In Finland, everyone is allowed
to roam wherever they wish.

It's known as the Everyman's Rights.

And here, in Kemijarvi,

there's so much space and
so few people,

just two for every square kilometre,

you can walk across
enormous frozen lakes

without meeting a single soul.

It's not crowded here
like in Helsinki.

So it's totally different.

Kemijarvi might be literally
the end of the line,

but with its wide-open landscapes
and little light pollution,

there's also a good chance of
spotting one of nature's

most extraordinary displays.

For the first time when I saw
the northern lights,

I was walking with my dogs and
suddenly I looked up onto the sky

and there their were.

In Lapland, the aurora borealis
can be seen on clear nights any time

between September and March.

The northern lights, they were
really dancing.

It was amazing.

Our train has travelled the length
of a country through some

of the harshest conditions.

A route that was not
only essential for foresters,

but also the economy
and success of Finland.

Providing a vital link between
remote communities

in some of the most
stunning winter landscapes.

The trip from Helsinki to
the Arctic Circle,

a journey taken straight
out of the perfect picture book.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media