VR Transpoint and its current position was presented by Sales Director for rail logistics, Antti Pursiainen, during the 51st IBS Congress on Rail Freight Innovation.
The company offers a range of services including logistics chain design, warehousing, IT cooperation, and loading and unloading services. These services are aimed at meeting the large-capacity logistics needs of the export industry, focusing on the transportation of products and raw materials.
In terms of transportation modes, VR Transpoint provides both rail and road logistics solutions. Its rail logistics services are supported by a diverse fleet of rolling stock tailored to meet various transportation needs. This is underlined by strong purchases of Siemens Vectron locomotives, and the most recent purchase of 60 Dr 19 locomotives made by Stadler. The share of electric traction at VR Transpoint is over 80% and it departs over 200 trains every day. On the road logistics front, the company caters to full load transports for industrial and commercial customers within Finland.
Historical context and recent developments
The logistics landscape in Finland has experienced several significant changes over recent years, Antti Pursiainen presented:
- The years 2020 and 2021 were marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and a global container crisis, which impacted logistics worldwide. During this period, VR Transpoint highlighted its train connection to Asia and expanded its warehousing capabilities.
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In 2022, the geopolitical landscape was notably affected by the Russian attack on Ukraine, leading to increased energy costs and the cessation of traffic between Finland and Russia. VR Transpoint had to adapt its domestic traffic operations in response to these events.
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The year 2023 brought challenges in the forest industry market, prompting VR Transpoint to implement a new pricing strategy and develop new operational models to sustain its market position.
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Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the company is exploring potential market shifts, further investments in green transition initiatives, and the development of combined transport solutions alongside new customer-tailored services.
Current rail logistics in Finland
Finland's rail infrastructure, managed by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency Väylä, has been operational since 1862. The rail gauge used is 1.524 mm. In 2023, the total volume of rail cargo transportation in Finland reaches 27 million tonnes, out of which 23.4 million tonnes was handled by VR Transpoint.
Among the most important commodities, there are paper, cardboard, pulp and timber, raw wood, steel coils and other steel products, oils and chemicals, bulk products (such as ore aggregates), containers, as well as special projects transports.
VR Transpoint remains a critical support entity for the industry, continuously adapting to both global and local changes to maintain reliable and efficient service offerings in the face of evolving market conditions and environmental considerations. In the light of the events on its eastern border, VR Transpoint is now looking at more options to established better partnerships with entities in other European countries. From this perspective, containerized and Ro-Ro traffic as well as ferried traffic seem as the most perspective development areas.
