A child looking outside from a train

The future of rail transport

We are helping to create a growing, customer-oriented and climate-friendly rail transport market in Finland, inviting more competition and new services. VR’s goal is to focus on the core business of the train operator and transform into a modern travel and logistics service company. 

Our vision for rail transport in 2030:

  • Genuine competition. There are several market-based operators for passenger and freight traffic. New operators have entered the market through calls for tenders for contract traffic and Open Access.

  • Market with multiple actors. Market-based long-distance and freight traffic includes rolling stock owned by operators or leasing companies. There is a separate rolling stock company for publicly financed contract traffic. There are several service providers in the industry, including maintenance, depots and the manufacture of rolling stock.

  • Seamless travel chains based on seamless digital collaboration of market-driven door-to-door service operators through commercial agreements.

  • A railway network that enables smooth and environmentally friendly traffic. The repair backlog of the railway network has been reduced and several railway projects are under construction that will significantly increase track capacity and speed up travel times. In particular, the capacity of the main line has been improved.

  • The pan-European track gauge (Rail Nordica) extends through the north to Finland, improving the efficiency of multimodal international transport chains in rail and maritime traffic and also strengthening Finland’s security of supply. In addition, transshipment capacities have been improved to streamline international logistics.

  • International passenger train services have started from Finland to Sweden.

VR invests significantly in its rolling stock

At VR, we have invested significantly in new rolling stock and the modernisation of the existing rolling stock. We are currently investing approximately EUR 1 billion in rolling stock for Finnish rail transport. In 2025, for example, we will introduce nine new sleeper cars and eight car-carrier wagons. In 2026, we will introduce 20 new commuter trains. Significant rolling stock investments will ensure the continuity of Finnish rail traffic and strengthen Finland's logistical security of supply for the coming decades.

New rolling stock

  • 20 new commuter trains from 2026 onwards
  • New sleeper and car-carrier wagons for night-time traffic at the end of 2025
  • 60 new Dr19 diesel locomotives by 2026
  • 80 new Sr3 electric locomotives by 2026
Sr3 locomotive

Digirail

In the Digirail project, the current train traffic access control system will be replaced by a modern, radio network-based ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System). The project covers the renewal of the entire operations control and safety system, in other words, automatic train control, interlocking devices, control devices and the radio network in stages between 2026 and 2040. The State has reserved more than EUR 1 billion for the Digirail project. VR is also investing significantly in new access control devices for its rolling stock.