The suspension of rail freight services between the two countries became active as of 12 noon on Sunday March 27th, although the return of wagons from Finland to Russia will continue for now.
“The continuation of freight traffic between Russia and Finland is no longer possible because of the sanctions imposed on Russian Railways (RZD). VR Group is obliged to comply with the sanctions imposed by the Western countries”, said Martti Koskinen, Senior Vice President of VR Transpoint.
A long term suspension would be something of a blow to Finland’s Kouvola intermodal terminal, a 42-hectare facility that will be able accommodate freight trains 1,100 metres long. The City of Kouvola has invested €28 million in the project, which has also received €9 million in funding from the EU as well as €4.4 million from the Finnish Government.
The terminal was designed to help accommodate freight trains from China and Russia, which could be impossible for some time as a result of sanction.
Photo: Coen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
