In the first phase, Suomen Ostoliikennekalusto will take ownership of commuter trains, railbuses, and night and car-carrier trains currently in service, as well as new units scheduled to enter traffic. Newly ordered night and car-carrier trains will transfer at a later stage. Decisions on the locomotives required for public contract services will follow separately. The stated aim is for the rolling stock company to own all necessary vehicles before the new competitively tendered contract enters into force.
The total value of the transaction is approximately €250 million and is intended to be financially neutral for VR. As the company’s owner, the Prime Minister’s Office will apparently decide in 2026 on a capital refund to ensure that neutrality
A new leasing agreement
Alongside the asset transfer, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency has signed a leasing agreement with Suomen Ostoliikennekalusto for the fleet. All three parties have also concluded agreements covering maintenance and usage rights, with the Agency and VR updating the current public service contract to reflect the new tripartite structure.
Meanwhile, since 1 January 2026, the ‘competent authority’ role, meaning the body that procures and manages state-funded passenger rail services, has shifted from the transport ministry to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency. In practice, that means a technical contracting authority, rather than the political ministry, now designs, procures and manages state-funded passenger rail services, and so will run the competitive tender from 2031.
A major step to liberalisation
“Transferring the ownership of rolling stock to a neutral company that does not operate rail traffic itself is a major step in Finland’s preparations for the competitive tendering of passenger rail services funded by the government,” said Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand. “The new contract period will begin in 2031. The rolling stock owned by Suomen Ostoliikennekalusto will ensure that future operators of public contract traffic will have access to rolling stock on equal terms.”
The government stressed that the ownership shift, in the pipeline since 2024, will not affect current operations, service levels or passengers and stressed that VR’s existing public service contract would run until the end of 2030. “In the future, every operator will have access to rolling stock for use in public contract traffic,” said Transport Minister Lulu Ranne. “This will make it possible for new operators to enter the Finnish market and promote competition. A competitive rail traffic market will benefit Finland and passengers.”
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