Russian Railways sends first cargo train to Finland after services resume

MOSCOW. March 30 (Interfax) - Russian Railways has dispatched a first cargo train with coal, chemicals, ferrous metals and containers to Finland.

"Today we received a notification from [Finnish railway operator] VR Group that it is ready to resume acceptance of cargo trains from Russia. The Russian Railways network now has about 2,000 wagons with various cargoes destined for Finland. They were dispatched before March 26, when the restriction was imposed by VR Group. The convention on loading in the direction of Finland has been canceled," Russian Railways said.

Finland is resuming freight railway services to and from Russia as of Wednesday.

"We previously announced that we would be suspending VR Transpoint's eastern freight traffic on 27 March 2022 as a result of the UK's sanctions against Russian Railways (RZD). However, according to the clarification we have received from the UK authorities, these sanctions do not apply to the VR Group's contracts. VR Transpoint's eastern freight traffic will resume on Wednesday, 30 March," VR Transpoint, a subsidiary of Finnish railway company VR Group, said in a press release.

VR Transpoint's services are focused on transporting products and raw materials for export. VR Transpoint's railway transport volume in 2021 was approximately 37 million tonnes, and freight between Finland and Russia accounts for about a third of the total.

VR Transpoint announced earlier that it was suspending freight train traffic from Russia as of March 27.

VR Group suspended the Allegro passenger train service between Finland and Russia as of March 28.