Amendments proposed to the Rail Traffic Act and the Act on Transport Services

Amendments proposed to the Rail Traffic Act and the Act on Transport Services

The Government proposes that the President of the Republic approve amendments to the Rail Transport Act and the Act on Transport Services on 14 November 2025. The amendments will enhance the safety and security of urban rail transport and allow more time to procure rolling stock that meets EU requirements for use in the forest and chemicals industries.

Amendments to the Rail Transport Act will extend the use of rolling stock employed in eastern international services (so-called OSJD/GOST stock) by two years, until the end of 2028. This extension will give operators more time to procure rolling stock that complies with EU requirements for transporting goods in the forest and chemicals sectors.

In June 2022, a legislative amendment entered into force allowing the use of OSJD/GOST rolling stock, which does not meet EU requirements, for transporting timber and chemicals within Finland until the end of 2026. This temporary derogation was introduced to meet industry needs for rail transport of timber and chemicals in Finland following the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

In EU law, Finland has been granted a derogation to use OSJD/GOST equipment only in international rail transport. However, procurement of EU-compliant rolling stock for timber and chemical transport has taken longer than expected. As a result, the Government has decided to extend the derogation from 2026 until the end of 2028. The European Commission has also been informed of this two-year extension.

Securing the extension is a significant achievement that required extensive preparatory work. The two-year continuation for using OSJD/GOST equipment in timber and chemical transport until the end of 2028 is the longest possible under current conditions.

Changes to regulation on urban rail transport to improve safety and security

The amendment will also improve regulation of urban rail transport, i.e. metro and tram systems. The aim is to reduce the number of head-on collisions between trams and other road traffic, particularly during the early stages of new rail network sections. This would make urban rail transport even safer.

In future, plans for urban rail transport and the related impact assessments must be submitted to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom as early as possible. The aim is to ensure that safety and security considerations are integrated into project planning from the outset.

The legislative amendments also include clarifications to provisions on the validity and cancellation of railway undertakings' licences, along with other technical amendments to the regulation.

What's next?

The President of the Republic is expected to approve the bills on 14 November 2025.

The new acts will enter into force on 1 April 2026. However, provisions on the use of OSJD/GOST rolling stock in eastern international services will enter into force on 1 January 2027 and remain in force until the end of 2028.

Inquiries:

Risto Saari, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 342 311, risto.saari(at)gov.fi