VR passenger car auction – registration period continues

"Individual parties interested in the passenger cars registered for the auction by the end of February, according to the original timetable. However, by extending the registration period and postponing the auction to a later date, we expect more interested parties will get involved," says Joonas Roivainen, VR’s fleet director.

The passenger cars being sold are suitable for market-based long-distance traffic. After carrying out the necessary maintenance and renovation work, the buyer could operate them on Finland's railway network.

VR actively promotes growth and competition in the rail transport market in Finland – both in market-based traffic that is profitable through ticket revenues alone and in contract traffic financed partly by public funds. VR sells surplus rolling stock and relinquishes stations. VR also supports the establishment of a public contract traffic rolling stock company, which is recorded in Finland’s government programme. However, no decisions have been made on the matter as of yet.

"It is likely that the realisation of a contract traffic rolling stock company would increase the general interest of the sector's parties in the Finnish market and, simultaneously, also in market-based traffic – for which these passenger cars, which are now being sold, are well suited. We have also received feedback that buyer candidates need enough time to make their business plans and organise their financing," Roivainen goes on to say.

VR will auction 29 InterCity train cars and 22 so-called blue cars, that is, older express train and sleeper cars, which have been removed from commercial passenger service, as they are no longer needed.

The search for parties to participate in the auction will continue until the plans for the future public contract traffic rolling stock company are clarified. Parties who have previously registered for the auction are automatically taken into account as the cars' sales process progresses. For interested buyer candidates, a fleet review will be arranged during 2024. Information on the progress of the sales process will be updated on VR’s website as soon as the timetable has been specified.

Previous publications on the topic:

News 31 January 2024: VR to sell passenger coaches – registration for the auction open in February

Media release 28 December 2023: VR to sell surplus passenger carriages