FINLAND: National train operator VR has established a rolling stock owning company to facilitate government plans to tender the operation of publicly-funded passenger rail services.
Suomen Ostoliikennekalusto has initially been set up as a VR subsidiary, but it is due to be transferred to direct state ownership before the end of the year. The company will be responsible for fleet management and future rolling stock investment, with VR having no ownership or involvement in its decision making.
The government plans to begin procurement in 2026 for competitively tendered contracts to operate services from January 2031. This would include provision for local authorities to fund additional services if they wished.
Rolling stock transfers
VR currently owns the rolling stock used on all subsidised passenger services, including night trains and regional routes, which it operates under a directly-awarded government contract that expires at the end of 2030.
As potential foreign bidders are unlikely to have access 1 524 mm gauge rolling stock, the VR vehicles currently used are to be transferred to the state-owned rolling stock company. Suomen Ostoliikennekalusto would then be able to make them available to other operators, lowering the barrier to entering the Finnish market.
VR is also selling surplus rolling stock to other operators, subject to progress with its ongoing acquisitions and fluctuations in transport demand. In July it announced that the delivery of Sr3 Vectron electric locomotives from Siemens Mobility and Dr19 diesel locomotives from Stadler had released two Dv12 locos and one Dr16 to be sold to other Finnish operators by auction.
VR has also sold station properties in Parkano, Kotka and Jokela this year.
VR focuses on its core business
Presenting VR’s financial performance for the first six months of 2025 on August 15, CEO Elisa Markula said the operator ‘actively supports’ the promotion of competition in rail transport, and its focus was now on its core business as a provider of passenger and rail logistics services.
‘Our strategy focuses on profitability, growth, and building a value-driven culture’, she said. ‘Our goal is to achieve €250m in profit improvement measures by the end of 2027. This will ensure our future competitiveness and enable nearly €1bn in rolling stock investment.’
