Finnish state-owned railway company VR Group and Finnish forest industry group Metsa Group agreed on shifting more goods from road to rail to reduce their CO2 emissions. According to VR Group, this measure would lead to 14,000 fewer tonnes of CO2 being emitted, equivalent to over 25,000 trucks per year.

In order to achieve their goals, VR and Metsa have set up a joining working group that will focus on three key aspects to help the transition from road to rail. These aspects are “the electrification of the rail network, more efficient train concepts, and the use of diesel made from renewable raw materials”.

Currently, VR transports over 5 million cubic metres of Metsa’s wood and mechanical wood products, plus over 2 million tonnes of other forest industry products every year. Both parties were contacted with questions regarding which specific routes would be moved to the rail, but no answer has been provided as of yet.

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