Rail route of the month: gliding past Finland’s pristine forests and lakes

Train passengers look out at fabulous views of Finland’s lakes and forests. Photograph: Eila Syrjälä/Getty Images/500px Plus

The monumental facade of Helsinki’s main railway station has an elegant symmetry. Four giant, granite men, each one holding a lantern, are there to greet me. It is before seven on a quiet Saturday morning and I am here on an eastbound mission, heading for the only passenger railway in the European Union to cross the 30th meridian east of Greenwich.