Licences and obligations of railway undertakings
This page provides information on the licences, obligations and reporting requirements that apply to organisations operating or planning to operate railway services in Finland.
On this page
- What authorisations are required for operating rail transport?
- Reporting and notification obligations for railway operators
- Other requirements for railway operators
Railway operators include
- railway undertakings
- infrastructure maintenance and construction companies operating railway vehicles
- companies carrying out shunting operations
- historical railway operators
- railway infrastructure managers operating railway vehicles
What authorisations are required for operating rail transport?
If you are planning to start railway operations, familiarise yourself with the applicable obligations and obtain the necessary licences and authorisations before starting operations
Railway undertaking’s licence
A railway undertaking whose principal activity is to provide passenger or freight transport services on the railway network in Finland must have a licence issued by Traficom.
Single safety certificate for rail transport operators
To operate on the railway network in Finland, a railway operator must hold a single safety certificate issued by Traficom or the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). A key requirement for obtaining a single safety certificate is an effective safety management system.
Access agreement for the state railway network
Operating on the state-owned railway network and obtaining railway capacity require an access agreement with the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.
Railway vehicle authorisations
Railway vehicles used in operations must have an authorisation for placing on the market. In addition, each vehicle must have an entity in charge of maintenance (ECM) assigned to it and registered in the vehicle register.
Train driver qualifications
Rail transport operators are responsible for the qualifications of their personnel, including drivers’ licences and complementary certificates. If the operator provides driver training itself, it must also hold an approval as a railway training centre.
Reporting and notification obligations for railway operators
As a railway operator, you must submit the following reports and notifications:
- Notification of a railway accident or incident (within five days of the event)
- Annual safety report of the railway operator
- Employer notification of changes in a train driver's employment status
You must also notify Traficom of any changes to your operations that may affect your single safety certificate.
Notifying changes in a train driver's employment status
You must notify Traficom of the following changes concerning train drivers employed by your organisation:
- the driver starts or stops working as a driver (the date is determined according to the validity period of the complementary certificate issued by the rail transport operator)
- the driver is unable to work for more than three months
- other changes that may affect the validity of the driver’s licence
Notify changes in a train driver’s employment relationship through My e-Services. First select the role for acting on behalf of a company. The notification form is available under Rail transport operators.
Other requirements for railway operators
Railway operators may also be subject to additional requirements and obligations depending on where they operate, the rolling stock they use and the goods they transport:
- Railway operations to Sweden or Russia
- Use of rolling stock approved in Russia or an OSJD member state (OSJD/GOST rolling stock) in domestic railway operations in Finland
- Preparedness obligations in rail transport
- Cyber security in rail transport
- Transport of dangerous goods by rail
- Interface obligations related to mobility services in passenger transport