"Green steam" for VR trains

VR is looking for a new colour solution for its trains. That's why last August, together with the Helsinki-based design studio Ornamo, it launched a design competition for a new look for its single- and double-deck vehicles. This is because the operator is procuring new trains and coaches for suburban and long-distance services, which will be put into service from 2026. This is seen as an opportune moment to introduce a new corporate vehicle design to better match current trends, while replacing the existing design that has been in use since 2010.

The competition was intended for design professionals and students. The prize for the winning design is 30,000 EUR. Participants were asked to submit a design for a new-look double-deck long-distance IC train and a single-deck suburban train; the long-distance train design was also to include a distinctive service car. As the external appearance of trains has a long life cycle and changes take place over several years, the proposal must allow the coexistence of the old and the new design. Based on the winning entry, VR will then develop detailed visual variants for the different types of trains and carriages across its fleet.

The competition attracted 186 entries and the results were announced on 18 December 2023. The expert jury selected the design entitled "Green Steam" as the winner. At the same time, a public vote was held, which attracted more than 20,000 evaluations. Here, the winning design was "Suomen metsä" ("Finnish Forest"). Both designs are shown here including illustrations of future four-car FLIRT EMUs, of which VR has ordered twenty in November 2022, with an option for up to fifty more. The winning designs will be applied to one long-distance train car this year.