Three days after the suspension of traffic between Finland and Russia, VR Transpoint will resume operations from Wednesday, March 30th.

Passenger service with Russia

The decision to resume freight rail services to and from Russia comes after consultation with the UK authorities clarifying that sanctions do not apply to VR. Passenger traffic will be suspended, the last trains to and from Russia departed on Sunday, March 27.

The decision to stop rail freight traffic with Russia was made primarily in connection with the sanctions imposed by the UK on March 24, reports Railway Supply magazine, citing railtech.

This included an asset freeze and a commitment to refrain from any dealings with Russian Railways, and these sanctions seemed to put an end to any rail link with Russia.

Traffic continues but goods must be excluded

VR Group, Finland’s state-owned railway company, consulted with the UK authorities and banks even after the decision to suspend the service.

It became obvious that these operations did not need to be frozen, since the agreements signed with the Russian side were not subject to sanctions after all.

“Following the decision made last week, we have continued negotiations with the UK authorities and banks to impose sanctions on our company. According to the clarifications of the British authorities and banks, the sanctions do not apply to our activities,” the company said in a statement.

However, the sanctions lists include specific legal entities and people who, for example, own one or another product.

As a result, VR Group will likely have to refrain from transporting certain goods.

“Sanctions are often imposed on people and therefore on shippers or cargo owners, and we will not continue to transport them under sanctions,” the company said.

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