Train drivers’ strike today to freeze rail traffic

Railway services is set to be disrupted across the country as the Finnish Locomotive Drivers’ Union (Veturimiestenliitto) goes on a 30-hour strike from 6.00pm today.

The strike was called on August 10 in protest against the government’s decision to open the railway transport sector to competition.

The government on August 9 announced its decision to open passenger railway transport to competition from the 2020s so that the national railway operator VR will no longer have the exclusive rights to provide railway transport services in the Finnish railway network.

All commuter and long-distance passenger trains that depart before 6:00pm will drive to their end stations.

However, the Allegro train service between Helsinki and Saint Petersburg and The Tolstoi trains running between Helsinki and Moscow will run as usual despite the strike.

The train drivers are scheduled to return to work on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday, and the train services are expected to become normal by Wednesday morning.

The Locomotive Drivers’ Union earlier said they cannot accept the way the government decided to go for open bidding in the railway transport sector.

VR in a press release said all passenger and freight train services will be suspended across the country during the strike hours.

The VR authorities also urged the passengers who have already booked tickets in advance for the strike period to either cancel or change the tickets.

The local HSL commuter train services in the capital will also come under the strike’s purview.