Station & city guide
Helsinki Central Railway Station
Your starting point for Helsinki and the rest of Finland. Find your connection, settle in at the station, then discover the city beyond its doors.
- Find the station
- Kaivokatu 1, 00100 Helsinki
- Names on local signs
- Helsinki / Helsingfors · Rautatieasema / Järnvägsstation
Find your way
Get your bearings, then choose your next connection.
One station, four useful directions.
Choose the side that matches your next stop. The squares beside the station have different bus stops; the metro is on a separate level.
Elielinaukio
Bus stops beside the west wing. The signed accessible route to the platforms passes through the Elielinaukio corridor.
Rautatientori
Railway Square and its bus platforms, beside the Finnish National Theatre. Match the stop code and destination to your service.
Kaivokatu
The main façade faces Ateneum across the street. Tram stops are in front of the station and by Lasipalatsi towards Mannerheimintie.
Rautatientori metro
Follow metro signs for eastbound and westbound services. Step-free access uses the lift at the separate Elielinaukio metro entrance.
Trains
Long-distance and commuter trains leave from the station’s platforms. Find your service and track on the live board. Helsinki Central and Pasila are separate stations.
Find a trainBus · Metro · Tram
Use the destination, stop name and stop code to find your boarding point. HSL’s journey planner brings local connections and the ticket zones together.
Plan with HSLHelsinki Airport
The airport trains connect Helsinki Central with the station below the airport terminal. An HSL ABC ticket covers the journey between the centre and airport.
Airport train guideOn foot
Kaivokatu leads into the shopping streets and towards Ateneum. The Elielinaukio side opens towards Oodi and Töölönlahti. Use the station maps to choose your exit.
Station connections
Travel updates
For delays, cancellations and replacement transport, check the operator’s current information.
Rail disruptions
VR’s current disruption information and replacement arrangements.
Check VRLocal transport
HSL’s journey planner and service information for your route.
Check HSLPlanned rail works
Know what to check when engineering works affect your journey.
Rail works guide
At the station
Find the service you need, then open it for the details.
Station hall
Daily 05:00–02:00Shops, restaurants and facilities have their own opening hours.
Luggage storageDaily 06:00–24:00
Card-operated lockers are in the west-wing basement, reached by lift or stairs. Choose an accessible locker if needed and collect your belongings before the facilities close.
Locker details · VRToiletsPassenger service facilities
Public toilets share the basement facilities with luggage storage and are open 06:00–24:00. A lift provides access to the accessible toilet.
Passenger facilitiesTickets & helpVR machines & Customer Point
Use VR’s ticket machines or staffed Customer Point for train tickets and advice. HSL tickets cover local buses, metro, trams, commuter trains and the Suomenlinna ferry within their zones and validity.
HSL ticketsAccessible travelElielinaukio entrance · Assistance by platform 11
Historic entrances have different access arrangements. Use the signed Elielinaukio route for step-free entry. Book station assistance with VR in advance; the meeting point is by platform 11 under the glass canopy.
Arrange assistance · VRFood, coffee & essentialsCafés, restaurants, shops & pharmacy
Cafés, restaurants, shops and a pharmacy make the station a useful place to pause or pick up essentials. Businesses keep their own opening hours.
Station directoryLost propertyPassenger service facilities
The lost-property office is in the passenger service facilities. For something left on a train, VR directs enquiries to Lost & Found Finland.
Lost property · Station
Step into Helsinki
A short pause or a whole day. Choose a visit that fits your journey.
A short stop
Have a coffee at the station, look up at the clock tower and find your next platform. Keep a short connection simple.
A few hours
Leave your bag in a locker and choose Ateneum, Oodi or the streets around Lasipalatsi. One destination leaves room to enjoy it and return comfortably.
A day in Helsinki
Continue to the harbour, make time for Finnish food or plan a sauna visit. Suomenlinna adds a ferry journey from Market Square, so build the return around both boat and train.
Places to start with
Ateneum
Finnish art directly across Kaivokatu, with collection displays and changing exhibitions. A good choice when you want one museum close to the station.
Visit AteneumOodi
An open public place to read, meet or take a break. Head upstairs to the Book Heaven for books and city views, or enjoy the building’s Finnish architecture.
Explore OodiLasipalatsi & Amos Rex
The sculpted square above Amos Rex is a city stop in its own right. Museum exhibitions have separate opening dates and close between changeovers.
Plan an Amos Rex visitHelsinki Tourist Information
Free advice in several languages, with maps and ideas for attractions, events and everyday city life. The office is in the historic centre at the corner of Sofiankatu.
Tourist information
What’s on in Helsinki
Selected events and exhibitions. Check the organiser’s programme and tickets before travelling.
Modern Classics: Elga Sesemann
An exhibition tracing Sesemann’s career, directly across from the station. Museum admission applies.
Reviewed
Exhibition · AteneumHelsinki Baltic Herring Market
An autumn visit to the harbour for archipelago flavours and the city’s long-running market tradition.
Reviewed
Programme · Organiser
Follow changes at the station
The station’s own updates cover its spaces, exhibitions and development projects.
Station news
Good to know
Is Rautatientori the same as Helsinki Central?
Helsinki Central is the railway station. Rautatientori is Railway Square beside it and also the Finnish name used for the metro station. Match the transport mode and boarding point, not just the familiar name.
Can I leave the station between trains?
Yes, but plan from the time your train actually arrives. Allow for luggage, queues, the return walk and reaching the correct platform. A short connection is better spent close to the station.
Which ticket do I need for Helsinki Airport?
Helsinki Central is in HSL zone A and the airport is in zone C. Choose an ABC ticket for the I or P train journey between them. The ticket also allows transfers within its zones and validity.