Unauthorised Announcement on HSL Commuter Train Sparks Confusion and Investigation
An unusual and unauthorised announcement on an HSL commuter train on Monday afternoon left passengers bewildered after a voice declared the train was bound for Russia. The incident, which occurred on a U-line service departing from Espoo, has been confirmed as an act of vandalism by VR, the operator responsible for train services under HSL’s network.
Passengers on the train reported hearing a series of confused and erratic announcements beginning shortly before 18:00. According to a passenger who contacted MTV Uutiset, the first announcement stated, "Passengers, this train is going to Russia." The passenger described additional unclear speech over the train’s announcement system, lasting approximately one minute. The train later stopped at Ilmala before continuing toward Pasila at a reduced speed.
A separate account from an Iltalehti reader travelling on the same route—from Kirkkonummi to Helsinki—provided further details. The reader reported that the announcements began after Huopalahti station, around 17:44, with the first message being: "How’s your day been? Let’s go to Russia today." The announcements, which lasted roughly three minutes, included references to a "milkshake" (a milk-based smoothie) and what the reader described as "someone giving orders to the men." The train made an unusual stop near Ilmala before resuming its journey.
Both sources indicate that the announcements were made in the last carriage of the train. VR’s Head of Security for Urban Traffic, Jaakko Rantala, confirmed the incident in separate statements to MTV Uutiset and Iltalehti. Rantala described the incident as vandalism, stating that a passenger had accessed the train’s announcement system. "The case is under investigation. We apologise for the disturbance caused to other passengers," Rantala wrote in an email (MTV Uutiset).
The train involved was an HSL-operated commuter service, though VR is responsible for its operation. Neither VR nor HSL provided additional details on how the unauthorised access occurred. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
