Turku Central Station, Turku

Turku Central Station opened in 1876, is a key hub for railway services in Finland, offering connections to Helsinki and towards Joensuu, with most trains terminating at Tampere or Pieksamaki. It serves approximately a million passengers annually.

The station's history dates back to the opening of the Turku-Tampere railway, with a ceremony attended by the future Tsar Alexander III. Initially, services were limited to Tampere and Toijala, with railways playing a relatively minor role. However, in 1899, the opening of a new line to Helsinki significantly increased traffic, establishing Turku as an important railway node.

In 1938, the older station was demolished, making way for a modern structure completed in 1940, designed by Finnish architects Vaino Vahakallio and Martti Valikangas. The station has also historically handled local lines to Naantali and Uusikaupunki, although these routes are now mainly used for goods transport. There is ongoing discussion about reviving the Naantali line for public transport or as a museum railway.

Unlike Helsinki's grand Central Station, Turku Central Station blends into the surrounding landscape, making it less visible from the city center. On June 7, 2010, the station's name was officially updated to Turku Main Railway Station, or Turku Central Railway Station in both Finnish and Swedish, following a renaming trend similar to Helsinki's station. The shorthand "Turku C" is used by transport authorities, though it never became an official designation.