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VR appoints Janne Hattula to lead city traffic business in Finland and Sweden

30. June 2026 News and current issues

VR has appointed Janne Hattula to take responsibility not only for Finland but also for the city traffic business in Sweden, as Johan Oscarsson moves on to new opportunities outside the company. Going forward, Hattula will be responsible for tendered rail and bus services in both Finland and Sweden. He will assume his role immediately.

Janne Hattula has worked for VR since 2022 and is Senior Vice President of VR City Traffic in Finland, and now, on 30 June 2026, his responsibilities will be extended to Sweden.

“In recent years, the Swedish tendered traffic business has focused strongly on growth and winning new contracts. This has been highly successful, and VR is now a significant player in the Swedish public transport market, operating regional rail and bus services from northern Sweden all the way to Denmark. The business employs approximately 3,500 people in Sweden and 2,000 in Finland, and VR is now the second-largest train operator in the Swedish market. I would like to warmly thank Johan for his three years with the company and for his valuable contribution in ensuring our growth,” says CEO Elisa Markula.

“VR has a strong position in the Swedish market, and we are committed to strengthening it further. Our skilled and dedicated employees, together with our high-quality operations, provide a strong foundation for continued growth and long-term profitability. By working more closely together we can better use our combined capabilities and expertise, and we can further strengthen VR’s competitiveness”, says Janne Hattula, SVP, VR City Traffic Finland & Sweden.

In addition to VR, Janne has a background from aviation and has held several CEO roles since 2012 at SAS/Blue 1 and Airpro Group, among others.