VR will be selling off 25 passenger stations around the country over the next few years, the state-owned company announced on Wednesday.
According to VR, the role of passenger stations has changed significantly in recent years, with the shift of ticket sales and travel-related information to digital channels. The company says that over 90 percent of rail tickets are sold online. At the same time, for example, the need for station waiting rooms has decreased, VR says.
The 25 stations on the list to be phased out over the next few years include Hämeenlinna, Riihimäki and Lahti. The main stations in Helsinki and Tampere are not being listed for sale.
The company says it will negotiate the sale of the stations primarily with the local governments where they are located.
At present, there are a total of 64 station buildings serving passenger traffic in Finland. In addition to those owned by VR, some are owned by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, municipalities and private companies.
Rail travel on the rise
VR reported earlier this week that it saw an increase in what it termed "everyday travel" by rail in April, with business travel in particular up over volumes recorded at the beginning of the year.
The company reported that about 1,200,000 domestic long-distance journeys were made in April, which is 13 percent more than in April 2022 and roughly a 7 percent increase over April 2019.
The punctuality of its commuter trains last month was 96.6 percent, according to VR.