VR provides increasingly international services

VR is also increasingly providing international services. Passenger services between Finland and Russia have been increasing for several years now.

High-speed trains to St Petersburg

Customers would like shorter journey times between Helsinki and St Petersburg. Four high-speed trains will come into service between the cities in summer 2010, with the goal of cutting travel time between Helsinki and St Petersburg initially to three hours thirty minutes, and later to three hours. At present the journey takes five and a half hours.

Large volumes of freight carryings to and from Russia

A large proportion of freight services consists of carryings to and from Russia. In particular, the demand for container transport between Finland and Russia has increased. VR Cargo started a second weekly container train service to St Petersburg in 2008, and full-train container services to Moscow were also arranged.

VR has endeavoured to boost rail services for eastbound carryings of private cars arriving at Finnish ports, partly for environmental reasons. VR Cargo launched trial carryings of private cars from Hanko to the new RailTransAuto terminal in Moscow in August 2008.

Transport corridor to Mediterranean

One of the goals of VR's road services is to create a transport corridor to the Mediterranean. During 2008, the operations expanded into Bulgaria and Romania.

VR-Track has expanded its operations in Sweden and the Baltic countries.