Environment

In general, rail transport is the most energy-efficient mode of transport with the lowest emissions, and this is why it plays a crucial role in curbing climate change. By making rail transport more popular, we can also increase our handprint, i.e. reduce the emissions of our customers and Finland as a whole.

At VR, we have been working consistently to reduce emissions. We’ve increased electric traction, introduced energy-efficient rolling stock, and expanded train sizes to improve efficiency.

Each year, over 15 million long-distance journeys are made with us in Finland – and up to 97% of these are powered by fossil-free electricity. We also transport over 20 million tonnes of freight by rail annually, which makes further improvements in energy efficiency a key focus area for ensuring sustainable transport.

In addition to fossil-free electricity, rail transport’s low emissions and energy efficiency are based on its ability to carry large volumes of passengers or goods at once. This means less energy consumption and fewer emissions per person or shipment. Electric trains also convert energy into motion more efficiently than combustion engines and feed braking energy back into the grid.

Even though rail is already a low-emission choice, we want to do even more for the environment. That’s why we’ve set ambitious climate targets for the entire VR Group, aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative. We work closely with our partners to reduce emissions across the entire value chain.

We’ve set clear environmental goals: VR aims to reach net zero emissions by 2040.

VR’s goal is to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 and to halve emissions by 2032.

VR aims to improve energy efficiency in electric rail transport in Finland by 18% by 2027, compared to 2022 levels. Energy efficiency is measured by energy consumption per passenger-kilometre in passenger services and per tonne-kilometre in rail logistics.

We also strive to enhance material efficiency by increasing our company-wide recycling rate to 80% and engaging our supply chain in continuous environmental improvement.

Our goal for chemical safety is to prevent significant chemical spills, both in the transport of hazardous substances and in the handling of chemicals.