Contents 4 VR and Business Environment 6 The VR Group 8 Chief Executive’s Review 10 Business Concept, Goals and Values 12 Highlights of 2004 16 Passenger Services 18 Freight Services 22 Track Construction and Maintenance 24 Road Services 26 Catering and Restaurant Services Annual Report 28 Safety 30 Human Resources 32 The Environment 2004 35 Financial Statements 36 Report by the Board of Directors 42 Consolidated Profi t and Loss Account 43 Consolidated Balance Sheet 44 Consolidated Cash Flow Statement 45 Parent Company Profi t and Loss Account 46 Parent Company Balance Sheet 47 Parent Company Cash Flow Statement 48 Notes to the Financial Statements 60 Board’s Proposal on the Distribution of Profi t 60 Auditors’ Report 61 Statement by the Supervisory Board 62 Administration and Management 65 Statistical Information 66 Glossary Annual Report 2004 Contents 4 VR and Business Environment 6 The VR Group 8 Chief Executive’s Review 10 Business Concept, Goals and Values 12 Highlights of 2004 16 Passenger Services 18 Freight Services 22 Track Construction and Maintenance 24 Road Services 26 Catering and Restaurant Services Annual Report 28 Safety 30 Human Resources 32 The Environment 2004 35 Financial Statements 36 Report by the Board of Directors 42 Consolidated Profi t and Loss Account 43 Consolidated Balance Sheet 44 Consolidated Cash Flow Statement 45 Parent Company Profi t and Loss Account 46 Parent Company Balance Sheet 47 Parent Company Cash Flow Statement 48 Notes to the Financial Statements 60 Board’s Proposal on the Distribution of Profi t 60 Auditors’ Report 61 Statement by the Supervisory Board 62 Administration and Management 65 Statistical Information 66 Glossary Annual Report 2004 VR-Group Ltd P.O. Box 488 (Vilhonkatu 13) FI-00101 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 10 Fax +358 307 21 700 www.vr.fi Financial information in 2005 VR Ltd Editors: • The Annual Report is published in Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian. P.O. Box 488 VR-Group Ltd, Corporate Communications (Vilhonkatu 13) • Interim Reports will be published in June and October. PR Agency Pohjoisranta FI-00101 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 10 • Interim Reports are published in Finnish, Swedish and English. Photos: Fax +358 307 22 330 Leif Rosnell • The Annual Report and Interim Reports can be downloaded from www.vr.fi Soile Laaksonen (pages 8 and 62–63) the Internet at www.vr.fi , under the link to VR Group. VR-Track Ltd Translation: • Printed copies can be ordered by contacting VR-Group Ltd’s Corporate P.O. Box 488 Andrew Fisher, Impress Ltd (Vilhonkatu 13) Communications, tel. +358 307 20 827, fax +358 307 21 500 FI-00101 Helsinki Layout: Tel. +358 307 10 or by writing to P.O. Box 488, FI-00101 Helsinki, Finland. Teemu Ollikainen Fax +358 307 21 051 www.vr.fi Printing: Oy Pohjolan Liikenne Ab Libris Ltd Postintaival 3 FI-00240 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 15 Fax +358 307 23 760 www.pohjolanliikenne.fi Avecra Oy Veturitie 20 FI-00240 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 14 Fax +358 307 22 910 www.avecra.fi Corenet Ltd P.O. Box 488 (Vilhonkatu 13) FI-00101 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 17 Fax +358 307 20 999 www.corenet.fi VR-Group Ltd P.O. Box 488 (Vilhonkatu 13) FI-00101 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 10 Fax +358 307 21 700 www.vr.fi Financial information in 2005 VR Ltd Editors: • The Annual Report is published in Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian. P.O. Box 488 VR-Group Ltd, Corporate Communications (Vilhonkatu 13) • Interim Reports will be published in June and October. PR Agency Pohjoisranta FI-00101 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 10 • Interim Reports are published in Finnish, Swedish and English. Photos: Fax +358 307 22 330 Leif Rosnell • The Annual Report and Interim Reports can be downloaded from www.vr.fi Soile Laaksonen (pages 8 and 62–63) the Internet at www.vr.fi , under the link to VR Group. VR-Track Ltd Translation: • Printed copies can be ordered by contacting VR-Group Ltd’s Corporate P.O. Box 488 Andrew Fisher, Impress Ltd (Vilhonkatu 13) Communications, tel. +358 307 20 827, fax +358 307 21 500 FI-00101 Helsinki Layout: Tel. +358 307 10 or by writing to P.O. Box 488, FI-00101 Helsinki, Finland. Teemu Ollikainen Fax +358 307 21 051 www.vr.fi Printing: Oy Pohjolan Liikenne Ab Libris Ltd Postintaival 3 FI-00240 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 15 Fax +358 307 23 760 www.pohjolanliikenne.fi Avecra Oy Veturitie 20 FI-00240 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 14 Fax +358 307 22 910 www.avecra.fi Corenet Ltd P.O. Box 488 (Vilhonkatu 13) FI-00101 Helsinki Tel. +358 307 17 Fax +358 307 20 999 www.corenet.fi Annual Report 2004 VR and Business Environment The VR Group is a broad-based Finnish transport railways had operated as a civil service department company providing rail transport and supplementary since it was established in 1862. road transport services. The Group also offers track Most of the Group’s personnel, 60%, work in rail construction and maintenance services. The Group transport. The number of personnel has steadily consists of altogether 23 companies. The VR Group declined for some years now. The average age of generated net turnover of EUR 1,179 million in 2004 personnel is 46 years. and employed a total of 13,264 people. VR Ltd, the Group’s largest company, provides rail Ministry of Transport and Communications transport services. The subsidiaries of Oy Pohjolan The VR Group is included in one of the administrative Liikenne Ab provide road services. Rail services ac- sectors of the Finnish Ministry of Transport and count for some 55% of VR Group’s total net turno- Communications. A Ministry representative exer- ver and road services for roughly 17%. cises the Finnish state’s shareholder voting rights at VR-Track Ltd specializes in track design, con- Annual General Meetings. The Ministry is also re- struction and maintenance services, generating sponsible for rail transport legislation and railway some 20% of VR Group’s total net turnover. licensing. The Ministry purchases passenger ser- The VR Group also includes Avecra Oy, which vices from VR, amounting to EUR 36 million in 2004. provides catering and restaurant services, and Corenet Ltd, which provides telecommunications Finnish Rail Administration services. The division of work on the railways was re-organ- The Group’s parent company is VR-Group Ltd, ized in 1995, after VR-Group Ltd was incorporated, which provides its subsidiaries with real estate, to correspond to other modes of transport. Man- financial and administration services. agement of the rail network and responsibility for VR-Group Ltd is a limited liability company owned the maintenance of railway lines was transferred to entirely by the Finnish state. The company was in- a new civil service department, the Finnish Rail Ad- corporated on 1 July 1995 to continue the opera- ministration. tions of Finnish State Railways (VR), which since The Finnish Rail Administration is responsible for 1990 had operated as a state-owned public enter- the renovation, development and maintenance of prise. Before becoming a public enterprise, Finnish lines, within the framework of the state budget, and ▶ KEY FIGURES 2 0 0 4 2 0 0 3 Change-% Net turnover, M€ 1,179 1,160 1.6 Operating profit, M€ 63 53 18.4 % of net turnover 5.3 4.6 Net profit, M€ 52 41 25.3 % of net turnover 4.4 3.6 Gross capital expenditure, M€ 180 151 18.8 Return on shareholders’ equity, % 4.5 3.6 Return on investment, % 5.8 5.1 Solvency ratio, % 81.5 83.1 Personnel on average 13,264 13,746 -3.5 4 Annual Report 2004 procures track maintenance services from contrac- tors through competitive tendering. The Finnish gov- ernment’s expenditure on the rail network in 2004 amounted to EUR 475 million. The Finnish Rail Administration is also responsible for traffic control, and purchases control services from VR Ltd. Safety standards for rail transport are PASSENGER TRANSPORT FREIGHT TRANSPORT also in the Finnish Rail Administration’s domain. How- IN FINLAND 2003 IN FINLAND 2003 ever, safety and administration tasks will be trans- ferred to a new safety body in 2006, after which the • Private cars 84% • Road 68% Finnish Rail Administration’s main responsibility will • Bus and coach 7% • Rail 25% be management of the rail network. This re-division • Rail 5% • Water 7% Air 2% of duties derives from EU legislation. • • Other 2% Market shares VR’s largest freight customers are Finnish industrial corporations. Some 60% of all carryings consists of the raw materials and products of the forest industry. A substantial proportion, roughly 40%, of VR’s total freight volumes consists of carryings over the border with Russia. Railways have had a consistent 25% share of freight carryings in Finland for many years. ROLES OF VR, THE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT This figure is high compared to other EU countries, THE VR GROUP AND COMMUNICATIONS AND THE FINNISH RAIL where railways account for an average 13% of the ADMINISTRATION • Rail services freight market. • Track construction Commuter services in the Greater Helsinki area ac- and maintenance count for most of the passenger journeys on trains • Road services • Catering and restaurant in Finland. The commuter area extends from Helsinki services along the main line to Riihimäki and along the coastal • Telecommunications line to Karjaa. The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Coun- services cil (YTV) purchases rail services in the Helsinki, MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen area. AND COMMUNICATIONS When the length of the journey is taken • Railway legislation into account, however, long-distance and permits services account for most passenger- • Commissioning of kilometres travelled.