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Transport and Communications Agency

Apply for a railway undertaking's licence

Railway undertakings need a licence to operate rail transport as their main business. Follow the instructions on this page to apply for a licence.

Requirements for obtaining a licence

Railway undertakings established in Finland can apply for a licence from Traficom.

The licence ensures that the railway undertaking and its management meet the requirements for good repute, financial fitness and professional competence.

The undertaking must also have adequate liability insurance cover or some other arrangement to cover its liabilities for damage caused to third parties.

The following minimum levels of liability cover apply in Finland:

  • passenger transport: EUR 40 million
  • freight transport: EUR 25 million
  • freight transport involving transport of dangerous goods: EUR 30 million

How to apply

  1. Step 1

    Check the requirements for obtaining a licence

    Before applying, make sure that your undertaking meets the requirements for obtaining a licence and has adequate liability insurance cover or some other arrangement to cover its liabilities for damage caused to third parties.

  2. Step 2

    Make sure you are authorised to submit the application

    To act on behalf of an organisation in Traficom's My e-Services, you need authorisation from the organisation you represent. You can grant and request authorisations in the Suomi.fi e-Authorizations service.

    To apply for a licence, you need the authorisation mandate "Applying for rail transport authorisations".

    You can submit an application on behalf of an organisation without separate authorisation if you have been granted the right to represent the organisation in the Finnish Trade Register, the Finnish Business Information System (BIS) or the Finnish Register of Associations.

  3. Step 3

    Submit your licence application

    Submit your application through Traficom's My e-Services. Log in and select your role. You can find the application form under Rail transport (Apply for a licence for a railway undertaking).

  4. Step 4

    Application processing

    Applications are processed in two stages: preliminary assessment and application evaluation. The person processing your application will request additional information if necessary.

  5. Step 5

    Decision on granting the licence

    Traficom sends the decision on granting the licence to the address provided by the applicant.

    The person processing the application enters the details of the granted safety certificate in the European Railway Agency Database of Interoperability and Safety (ERADIS), maintained by the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA).

Processing time for a railway undertaking's licence

The processing time for a railway undertaking's licence application is 90 days from the date on which all the information and documents required to process the application have been submitted.

Licence fee

Traficom charges a fee for processing licence applications in accordance with the decree of the Ministry of Transport and Communications on fees charged by Traficom in force at the time.

After obtaining a licence

A railway undertaking's licence is valid throughout the European Union.

Your undertaking must continue to meet the requirements for obtaining a licence throughout its operations. Notify Traficom immediately of any changes relating to your licence.

For example, notify Traficom if:

  • the undertaking's management personnel change
  • the undertaking's financial standing changes
  • the undertaking's name changes
  • the undertaking's activities change in a way that affects civil liability

Guidance and further information on applying for a licence

The information and documents you need to include in your railway undertaking's licence application depend on factors such as whether your undertaking is already operating or is about to start operations. The information and documents typically required to process an application include:

  • a description of the management organisation (knowledge and experience required to operate safely and reliably)
  • details of assets, debts and sources of funding
  • annual accounts and/or a balance sheet
  • details of securities (funds and assets)
  • details of working capital and liabilities
  • details of operating income and expenditure (financial and income budgets and a projected balance sheet for the year following the start of operations)
  • a statement from the tax administration concerning taxes
  • details of liability insurance or other arrangements
  • details of any derogation from the minimum level of liability insurance cover

If your undertaking already holds a licence issued in another EU country, you do not need to apply for a new licence from Traficom.

However, you must notify Traficom before starting operations in Finland. Traficom will check that your undertaking's liability insurance or other arrangement meets the minimum levels of liability cover applicable in Finland.

Once you have demonstrated that you have adequate liability insurance cover, Traficom will supplement your licence with a new liability annex or update the existing annex to cover operations in Finland.

You can find details of all licences issued in Finland in the ERADIS database. Select Finland from the menu.

Our experts can provide more information about the licence requirements and application procedure. Send us a message using the contact form.

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