Finnish state railway operator to halt Russia freight link

It said it needed to make the move gradually to ensure the needs of Finland's security of supply and to allow its clients to respect their contractual commitments. Finland's minister responsible for state-owned companies, Tytti Tuppurainen, wrote on Twitter that the decision was reasonable. In addition to offering transport services, VR has cooperated with its Russian counterpart RZD as well over Finnish harbours and rented wagons for companies.

Finnish state railway operator VR on Wednesday said it would gradually halt freight services to and from neighbouring Russia in response to the war in Ukraine.

Railway freight between the European Union and Russia does not fall under the EU's sanctions for the time being, but VR's board of directors decided nevertheless to stop the cargo traffic "in a controlled manner" over several months, the company said in a statement. It said it needed to make the move gradually to ensure the needs of Finland's security of supply and to allow its clients to respect their contractual commitments.

Finland's minister responsible for state-owned companies, Tytti Tuppurainen, wrote on Twitter that the decision was reasonable. On March 27, VR stopped passenger traffic between Finland and Russia after Tuppurainen had formally requested it to do so.

Last month, VR briefly halted its freight services to Russia as a result of British sanctions on Russian Railways, but it resumed services on March 30. In addition to offering transport services, VR has cooperated with its Russian counterpart RZD as well over Finnish harbours and rented wagons for companies.