VR Group
VR-Group Plc (Finnish: VR-Yhtymä Oyj, Swedish: VR-Group Abp), commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. VR's most important function is the operation of Finland's passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 commuter rail services every day. With 7,500 employees and net sales of €1,251 million in 2017, VR is one of the most significant operators in the Finnish public transport market area.
Native name | VR-Yhtymä Oyj/VR-Group Abp |
|---|---|
| Formerly | Suomen Valtion Rautatiet Valtionrautatiet |
| Company type | public (julkinen osakeyhtiö) |
| Industry | rail transport |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Finland Sweden |
Key people | Elisa Markula (CEO) |
| Products | Rail transport Infrastructure |
| €152 million | |
| Owner | Government of Finland |
Number of employees | 7,500 (2016) |
| Website | vr.fi |
The Finnish railway network in 2010. | |
An Sm3 class Pendolino train. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Finland |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,524 mm (5 ft) Broad gauge |
VR was created in 1995 after being known as Swedish: Finlands Statsjärnvägarna, Finnish: Suomen Valtion Rautatiet (Finnish State Railways) from 1862 to 1922, and Valtionrautatiet ('State Railways', Swedish: Statsjärnvägarna) from 1922 to 1995.
As part of the concern, Avecra is a subsidiary for onboard catering service, Pohjolan Liikenne for bus traffic, VR Track for developing and maintaining of infrastructure and VR Transpoint for freight. Since 2017, its headquarters is located at the Iso Paja building, previously occupied by the state-owned broadcasting company Yle, in northern-central Helsinki.