Competitive tendering of passenger rail transport in Finland

The Finnish government and authorities have actively promoted the opening of Finland’s passenger rail market to competition, by building up the conditions to support the reform of passenger rail services towards the 2030s.

Key steps taken and the way forward

Service scope

Government commitment to maintain the current scope of passenger rail services in the 2030s

Availability of the rolling stock

State-owned rolling stock company RailStock Finland has begun operations in 2026

Depots and other real estate facilities

Working towards fair and impartial access to depots and other real estate facilities

Currently happening in Helsinki region tendering

Updated 29 May 2026:

Market dialogue opens for next commuter rail tender

 

Updated 12 June 2025:

Update on the Helsinki region commuter rail contract: Tendering will not begin in 2026. Read more here

 

  • HSL and VR have re-negotiated the current commuter rail contract.
  • Tendering will begin in 2028 for the commuter rail commencing on 2031.
  • HSL and the national PTA are preparing a cohesive strategy for the Finnish rail operations market opening. Next round of market dialogue will be expected late 2025 or early 2026.

 

For more information about the market dialogue, please contact Contract Manager Maiju Lintusaari (firstname.lastname [a] hsl.fi). Please find our questionnaire for potential bidders below, as well as general information about the commuter rail network and the train units in the Helsinki region.

Currently happening in national passenger rail tendering

Updated on 11 May 2026:

 

Updated on 24 November 2025:

 

Updated on 24 October 2025:

  • State-owned rolling stock company to begin operations in 2026. Read more here

 

Updated on 22 September 2025:

  • The latest edition of RARE Newsletter by Traficom has been published also in English. Read more here

 

Updated on 27 June 2025:

  • The state has set up the basis for tendering national passenger rail PSO services for the 2030s. Read more here

 

Updated 24 January 2025:

Picture of a train driver, with a view towards the tracks

Where are we now?

Current public services are organised by Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) and the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom in a market with nearly 250 million passengers and over 5 billion passenger-kilometres per year.

The public transport authority of the Helsinki region, HSL, has tendered its train services, and the current ten-year contract (including a three-year option) for the operation and maintenance of the trains started in 2021. The preparations for the next round of tenders will begin in the coming years.

On the natioral level, the incumbent state operator VR is responsible for passenger rail services via a 9-year purchase (PSO) contract with the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom. Current contract ends in 2030, and services following this period will be procured through competitive tendering.

Competent authorities Traficom and Helsinki Region Transport HSL have published a Prior Information Notice regarding the competitive tendering for the 2030s. Market dialogue with railway undertakings is underway.

Preparations are carried out in close cooperation with key stakeholders  hroughout the process.

A Finnish train on a bridge by a lake

What happens next?

We are continuing our preparations. These will include:

  • Structured market dialogue with interested railway undertakings will continue
  • Key policy decisions and necessary sector and structural reforms will be finalised
  • Details and timeline will be refined further

Different kinds of passenger rail services

Who is responsible for the tendering?

Arranging the railway infrastructure, traffic control, depots and the rolling stock will be organised impartially, separately from the operator.

 

Helsinki Region Transport HSL is responsible for tendering passenger rail services in the Helsinki region. In the future, HSL may also tender urban rail transport such as the metro, light rail and trams.

 

Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom is responsible for the competitive tendering of state-procured passenger rail services for the 2030s. Traficom is also responsible for coordinating public transport on the national level.

 

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is responsible for the legislation and national transport policy.

We are looking forward to getting in touch with you - please don't hesitate to contact us