More alternatives in train fares

Train ticket prices will see new alternatives from 3 June. The new fares and info on train tickets will be then on VR's website www.vr.fi. Train ticket pricing will, going forward, be based even more on demand and at the same time VR will increase the number of special offers and campaigns throughout the year. – We will bring our customers more alternatives in train fares because we will offer cheaper tickets for train services with lower passenger volumes.

Also the special offer and campaign pricing favoured by customers will continue and will even be increased says Vice President, Commercial Lassi Rönkkönen from VR Passenger Services. Flexibility in the travel time will bring discounts Customers can, going forward, make savings by being flexible in the timing of travel as tickets will be cheaper in the low season train services than in the high season ones. Pensioners, students, juniors, and persons doing their military service and non-military service will receive more discounts than at present.

The discount may be at most 55 percent instead of the current 50 percent. Similarly for the busiest services the discount will be around five percent lower than at present. From June the price of train tickets varies on the basis of demand by train service and day of the week. Pendolino and InterCity train ticket fares comply with the new rule according to which the type of train does not affect the price. Fares of Express and Regional trains and zone area services will not change.

Also season tickets and multi-tickets of regular travellers remain as at present. The revamping of fares affects domestic long-distance services. On services to Russia and on Allegro demand-based pricing has been used since December 2011.

Cheap Advance tickets now available for Family tickets At the same time the popular Family ticket will become available as a cheap Advance ticket. With a Family ticket one child aged between 6 and 16 travels free of charge. Advance Family tickets can be purchased 60-7 days before the trip. The earlier you buy the ticket the cheaper it is.

The Basic ticket will change so that cancellations must be made before the trip. Tickets can still be changed at station ticket offices or by phone a maximum of 24h after the train's departure. For additional information on tickets and the new fares go to VR's website www.vr.fi from 3 June. All train tickets purchased before this date are valid normally. Due to an update of the sales system tickets may from Sunday 2 June 22.00 to Monday 3 June 06.00 be purchased only onboard trains. Therefore a service charge is not collected for tickets purchased onboard trains during the above time and Monday 3 June.

VR offers a number of channels to buy tickets with the latest being VR Mobile at m.vr.fi. Train tickets can also be purchased from VR Online Shop www.vr.fi, from ticket machines, VR Customer Care, onboard trains and by making the reservation by phone and picking up the tickets from an R-kioski. Most travel agencies also sell train tickets. Train tickets purchased from station ticket offices on the departure date will cost one euro more, going forward, than tickets purchased from ticket offices in advance. Tickets can be purchased for direct Regional train services from station ticket offices on the departure date at the same price as from self-service channels.