Record broken: VR Transpoint delivered a record amount of domestic roundwood in August

In August, VR Transpoint reached a record level in the volume of domestic roundwood transport. More than 1.2 million cubic metres of roundwood were transported, which is approximately 30,000 cubic metres more than in the previous record month of March 2021. The transported volume is equal to approximately 900 full roundwood trains. The average distance of roundwood transport has also clearly increased compared to the previous record month. The large volume of transport was made possible by the new operating models adopted and designed together with the customers.  

“The logistics of roundwood is currently undergoing greater changes than ever before. Wood for the forest industry is now increasingly being procured within Finland's borders. We have reorganised our concept of roundwood transportation swiftly to meet the changed needs of our customers. We have been able to meet the growing need for transport with domestic wagons and we are ready to invest in additional wagons in the future, if necessary. Special thanks to our personnel and customers for this great achievement,” says Eljas Koistinen, Senior Vice President, Logistics at VR Transpoint.

The customers’ transport needs have changed very quickly, so the new transport system was introduced on a tight schedule. The new concepts are based on efficient pendulum transport, where the wagon body travels between one or more loading sites and one factory, and the wagon rotation is tuned to its highest level. The most important and visible difference compared to the former transport system is that fast loading will be increasing and busier places will be visited more frequently in the future. In addition, changes have been made to the train timetables to ensure the capacity of the railway network.

“The new concepts are necessary in order to respond to the changed customer needs. It has now been possible to build more pendulum transport models that circulate efficiently, as transport flows have changed a lot and are also stronger. Operating models require mutual commitment to ensure effectiveness. It is great that we have been able to work with our customers to create new solutions to the rapidly changing situation with an innovative approach and good teamwork. The joint development work will continue on the basis of the customer needs,” says Koistinen.