Here’s a different type of transit map altogether… if one could really call it a “map” at all. Showing commuter rail services out of Finland’s capital, Helsinki, this matrix instead focuses on showing stopping patterns on the four colour-coded commuter lines. Each pattern is clearly denoted with a letter that corresponds to a train – not unlike the local/express services on the New York subway – making finding the correct train to catch easy and quick.

Have we been there? No.

What we like: Unusual but easy to use matrix of services. Horizontal lines indicate each station, so it’s easy to see which train stops there. Colour-coded station names let you know which metropolitan area each station lies in, a clever touch to circumvent some of the geographical shortcomings of the matrix (see below).

What we don’t like: Serious distortion of the length of the lines. The yellow “M” line to Vantaankoski is really only 15km long, while the red “Z” line to Lahti is over 100km long, yet both are shown as almost the same length! This isn’t really a problem for commuters (the target audience), as they would use the system every day and have an understanding of the lie of the land. However, for new users, this could be quite confusing.

The subsidiary line that joins Riihimaki and Lahti stations is jammed in quite tight and small, a little at odds with the graphic simplicity of the rest of the matrix.

Our rating: Something very different that works surprisingly well as an informational tool. Probably needs to be used in conjunction with a geographical map for people unfamiliar with the system. Three stars.

Source: Official VR website