The new agreement is an update to the transitional agreement signed in March 2016. The new price is about 27 million euros less than the original price. The lower price is based on the revision clauses of the agreement and, in particular, on that the original agreement included provisions for various risks that, however, did not materialize. In addition, train ridership and mileage have increased.
The agreement concluded between HSL and VR covers the operation and maintenance of HSL’s commuter trains.
“The opening of the Ring Rail Line and other changes to train services involved risks that did not materialize as anticipated. On the other hand, train ridership and mileage have markedly increased over the past years,” says Suvi Rihtniemi, the Executive Director of HSL.
The €27 million discount is divided for the remaining contract period from 2018.