Stadler receives follow-up order for 21 FLIRT trains in Finland

Finnish state-owned rolling stock company RailStock Finland is expanding its Stadler FLIRT fleet by 21 electric multiple units. The additional 21 FLIRT trains will expand the programme launched in November 2022, when Finnish national railway operator VR Group ordered 20 four-car electric multiple units from Stadler, with options for another 50. The latest order would bring the total to 41 trainsets. The original FLIRT fleet, designated Sm7 in Finland, is being manufactured at Stadler's Siedlce plant in Poland. The four-car units are designed for speeds of up to 160 km/h and have a capacity of approximately 800 passengers, including 356 seats. They are adapted to Finland's 1,524 mm track gauge and severe winter conditions. Who is RailStock Finland? RailStock Finland, officially Suomen Ostoliikennekalusto Oy, is a state-owned rolling stock company established to manage and lease trains used in publicly funded passenger services. It does not operate trains itself. The company was initially established as a VR Group subsidiary before being transferred to direct Finnish state ownership in November 2025. In March 2026, it acquired rolling stock previously owned by VR, including the new Sm7 trains, as part of an asset transfer valued at approximately EUR 250 million. RailStock is responsible for future fleet investments and making trains available to railway operators through leasing arrangements. Its establishment is connected to Finland's planned passenger railway market reform. The current contract between the Finnish government and VR for publicly funded services expires at the end of 2030. From 2031, these services are expected to be competitively tendered. Separating rolling stock ownership from train operations is intended to allow competing operators to access suitable vehicles without having to purchase their own fleet. This is particularly relevant in Finland because its broad-gauge railway network limits the availability of rolling stock from elsewhere in Europe. The first Sm7 FLIRT trains are intended for VR's regional and commuter services in southern Finland, including connections from Helsinki towards Tampere, Hämeenlinna, Riihimäki and Lahti. The initial 20-unit fleet is scheduled for introduction between 2026 and early 2028.