Press release 30 May 2013
On 30 May the state-owned railway company VR and the Finnish student organisations have agreed on contract changes regarding student ticket prices and marketing cooperation. The changes will come into effect on 3 June 2013.
The changes were initiated by VR as a part of the company’s comprehensive train ticket pricing reform, which aims to adjust ticket prices towards a more demand-based pricing system. Beginning on June 3 the student discount percentage for Basic and Extra class tickets will start to vary between 45 to 55 per cent. What this means is that students receive the highest discount for tickets with low demand, while more popular tickets entitle to a lower discount.
VR has convinced the student organisations that the reform will, on average, make travelling by train more affordable for students – even despite the slight increase in the prices of the most popular departures.
The student organisations demand an evaluation of the effects of the reforms once they come into force.
Chairpersons of the student organisations state that ”the priority [of the student organisations] in this reform is to secure that students, now and in the future, can make the occasional visit back home without having to spend their whole month’s lunch budget. We assume that VR, being a completely state-owned railway company, shares our goals and we hope to continue our successful relationship with them.”
Read more in the VR press release at: http://www.vrgroup.fi/en/vakiolinkit/VRinforms/news_20130530122522.html
More information:
- Matti Parpala, Secretary General, National Union of University Students in Finland ¬(SYL), 041 515 2225, etunimi.sukunimi@syl.fi
- Jani Hyppänen, Secretary General, The Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK, 050 389 1010, etunimi.sukunimi@samok.fi
- Sini Korpinen, Secretary General, Union of Finnish Upper Secondary School Students SLL, 050 364 4883, etunimi.sukunimi@lukio.fi
- Vesa Kauppinen, Secretary General, Finnish Student Alliance – OSKU, 044 502 5035, etunimi.sukunimi@osku.info
- Antti Malste, Secretary General, Union of Vocational Students in Finland – SAKKI, 050 310 0570, etunimi.sukunimi@sakkinet.fi