Finland Seeks Loophole to Avoid Writing Off and Continuing to Operate Hundreds of Russian Freight Cars

The European Union authorities have demanded that Finland decommission hundreds of Russian freight cars. The rolling stock was not returned to the Russian Federation due to Western sanctions imposed in March 2022, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle.

Most of the wagons, manufactured according to the Russian GOST standard, were used to transport wood and chemicals. The Finnish authorities planned to write off the rolling stock by the end of 2026, but it turned out that there was nothing to replace it with.

Finland Needs About 800 Wagons

According to experts at the VIS Suomen Kiskokalustetehdas Oy plant (a subsidiary of the German concern VIS Verkehrs Industrie Systeme), the country needs at least 800 wagons. However, Finland will not be able to provide such a volume of production in the shortest possible time. And the transfer of wagons from the EU is impossible due to the difference in track gauge.

To solve this problem, the Finnish Parliament is discussing amendments to the legislation that will allow extending the service life of Russian wagons until 2028. Helsinki hopes that they will be able to find a solution before this date.

How Many Wagons Can Be Produced in the Country?

Jari Lappalainen, CEO of VIS Suomen Kiskokalustetehdas Oy, said that the company could open a wagon production facility in Finland for their transfer to local railway carriers for lease.

Leasing of rolling stock is a common practice among EU carriers, as it does not require capital investments.

Allegro Trains Also Remained in Finland

The Russian-Finnish high-speed electric train Allegro (developed by the Italian company Alstom) was launched between St. Petersburg and Helsinki in December 2010. It was operated by Oy Karelian Trains — a joint venture between Suomen Valtion Rautatiet (VR Group) and JSC Russian Railways (RZD).

In 2022, all four Allegro trains remained in Finland. From November 2025, they will enter the domestic route under the name Pendolino Plus. Russian Railways has repeatedly initiated legal proceedings with the Finnish side, but the carrier failed to return them to Russia.

Allegro train characteristics:

• Composition — 7 cars
• Maximum speed: 220 km/h
• Train length —  184.8 m
• Width —  3.20 m
• Height — 4.27 m
• Track gauge — 1522 mm
• Weight — 423 t
• Traction motors — three-phase asynchronous, with a total power of 5500 kW.
• Capacity — 350 seats in the train

Read more materials on the topic:

• Closer to the goal: the first train cars for the HSR will begin to be assembled in 2026
• The Moscow Metro remains the leader in updating rolling stock, ahead of Europe and America
• New suburban diesel train with push-pull technology presented at Russian Railways