VR to discontinue its Eastern freight traffic in a controlled manner

VR Group’s Board of Directors have announced that they have made the decision to discontinue the Eastern freight traffic in a controlled manner. With this decision, VR Transpoint, which is responsible for the freight traffic, will draw up a traffic rundown plan. VR Transpoint previously suspended the traffic of freight wagons from Russia as of 12 noon on 27 March 2022. The rundown of traffic will be implemented in a way that take the needs of Finland’s security of supply into account.

VR Group, more commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. The company’s most important function is the operation of Finland’s passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 commuter rail services every day. VR Transpoint offers rail logistics services as well as domestic road logistics services. It makes logistics effective by combining railway and road transport in a flexible way.

At the moment, the EU sanctions do not prevent rail traffic between the EU and Russia. Therefore, the termination of freight traffic contracts concluded between VR and its domestic customers must be carried out in the manner specified in the contracts and negotiated with the customers. VR’s aim is to run down the freight traffic as quickly as possible, but it is expected that the process will take several months.

“Since the war broke out, the company has been working on an overall assessment that takes into account different stakeholders and the security of supply,” Topi Simola, Acting President and CEO of VR Group, said. “The assessment has now been completed in this regard. Preparing this decision was a long and difficult process.”