News and press releases

Hyvinkää–Hanko railway electrified – electric freight transport reduces emissions

With the electrification of the Hyvinkää–Hanko railway, VR’s electric freight transport has started on the railway section. The electrification of the railway will improve the efficiency of industrial rail transport and reduce the carbon footprint of transport.

3. February 2025 Press releases News and current issues

VR and Yara collaborate for the environment – rail traffic between Yara’s factories will now run entirely on electric power

VR and the fertiliser specialist Yara have agreed to continue their cooperation with a long-term agreement where both companies commit to a joint development programme to maximise the efficiency of railway transports and minimise environmental impact. The carbon dioxide emissions from the railway transports covered by the cooperation are approaching zero. With the electrification of the Iisalmi-Ylivieska railway section, all railway traffic between Yara's Finnish plants will now be fully electrically driven.

8. May 2024 Press releases

Towards more sustainable rail logistics with renewable diesel – VR and UPM Plywood collaborate to reduce traffic emissions

The sustainability collaboration between the companies is taking a significant step forward as VR commits to using as much renewable diesel in its rail traffic as is consumed by UPM Plywood’s transport of plywood from the Pellos plant to Kouvola and Kotka. This is VR’s first HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) concept for rail logistics, whereby emissions from customer transports in the Scope 1 emission class* are reduced to almost zero.

19. April 2024 Press releases

VR and SSAB are electrifying heavy industry transports – the first electric trucks to be introduced in traffic this year

The steel company SSAB Europe and VR's logistics unit VR Transpoint have launched a joint project to electrify heavy industry transport. VR is investing in low-emission road transport by acquiring all-electric trucks that will be used in the transports of SSAB Europe. In terms of total mass, the trucks to be procured will be some of the largest to operate electronically in regular customer deliveries in Finland. SSAB Europe, in turn, is investing in charging stations for heavy vehicles.

21. February 2024 Press releases

VR seeks growth in logistics services from new industries and green transition

Rail transport produces less emissions and consumes less energy than other modes of transport. Therefore, it plays an essential role in reducing transport emissions. VR's logistics business, VR Transpoint, actively invests in three key growth areas that support the green transition: industrial investments, green transition investments and combined transport.

22. November 2023 Press releases

VR's new diesel locomotives introduced in freight traffic

VR's first brand new diesel locomotives will start operating in commercial traffic on Wednesday, May 3rd . The locomotives have undergone an extensive testing program. They have been customized to fulfill VR's needs and the Finnish weather and railway conditions. The new locomotives are especially suitable for heavy freight traffic.

3. May 2023 Press releases

Electrically driven roundwood train transports to Kemi bioproduct mill have started

The transport of roundwood by train to Metsä Group's Kemi bioproduct mill has started for trial run of the mill.VR's first roundwood train from Rovaniemi to the Kemi mill was operated electrically on Friday, 21 April. VR and the client designed the highly efficient and environmentally friendly solution together to ensure the supply of wood by railway transport to the Kemi bioproduct mill.

21. April 2023 Press releases News and current issues

VR putting Sr1 locomotives that have received a recycling decision up for sale

VR is putting up for public sale ten Sr1 locomotives manufactured in the 1970s and 1980s, which the company has decided to recycle. The rolling stock will be sold in an auction for companies and associations in cooperation with the Huutokaupat.com web service on 27 April.

28. March 2023 Press releases

VR and Metsä Group intensify their cooperation on sustainability

Both VR and Metsä Group are companies with major role in the society and they therefore play an important part in improving environmental performance and responsibility. The companies are intensifying their cooperation on sustainability in logistics and have agreed a new joint target to halve emissions from transport covered by their cooperation by 2030. In addition, Metsä Group aims to transfer some of its current road transports to railways. For Metsä Group, the measures would represent a total emission reduction of around 14,000 tCO2e per year, which is equivalent to more than 25,000 average lorry journeys.

13. December 2022 Press releases