Attractiveness of the Finnish rail transit route : Case study: VR Group
Snezhkova, Viktoriya (2010)
Snezhkova, Viktoriya
HAAGA-HELIA ammattikorkeakoulu
2010
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2010072912617
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2010072912617
Tiivistelmä
The thesis revealed development opportunities of the Finnish railway transit route for the transportation of bulk raw materials coming from Russia westbound. The thesis research aimed to investigate attractiveness of the Finnish railway transit route for the transportation of bulk raw materials from Russia westbound. The study revealed level of attractiveness of the Finnish railway transit route, competitive advantages and disadvantages of the Finnish transit route for the transportation of raw bulk materials, such as iron, fertilizers, oil and oil related products.
The thesis research is based on the previous studies of Jumpponen (2007), Kilpeläinen (2004) and Lautso (2005). Previous researches analyzed competitive advantages of the competing transit routes between the West countries and Russia. The main transit routes for the raw materials transportation from Russia westbound have been examined and compared, advantages and disadvantages of the Finnish rail transit route are defined and recommendations on the future development for the Finnish rail transit route are presented in the thesis.
The thesis study was carried as empirical research. Data for the study was gathered by interviewing freight forwarding companies in Finland and Russia and Finnish railway authorities. The analytical approach was qualitative. Overall, eleven qualitative semi-structured interviews have been conducted and one e-mail enquiry has been received during the study process.
The thesis research was commissioned by the state-owned transportation company VR Group. Therefore, implications of findings and conclusions were presented for the commis-sioning party. Also recommendations for the future development of the railway transit transportation have been made.
The thesis research revealed the factors, affecting transit route choice for the transportation of bulk commodities westbound and the level of competitiveness of the Finnish railway transit route for the raw materials transportation westbound. The research revealed that attractiveness of the Finnish railway route is dependant on the attractiveness of the entire transit route via Finland, particularly on the ports’ services. The main problems affecting attractiveness of the railway route as part of the entire route via Finland are the cost levels, lack of flexibility in negotiations and cooperation between railway transportation provider, ports and the other freight providing companies and participants of the transit chain via Finland.
Research findings have supported theoretical background of the study, particularly, factors affecting transit route choice. However, thesis study has defined level of importance of the different factors for the railway transportation of raw bulk materials. Besides, competitive advantages of the railway transit route for the transportation of raw bulk materials differ from the competitive advantages of the route via Finland, presented in previous studies by Lautso (2005), Kilpeläinen (2004) and Jumpponen (2007).
The thesis had practical importance for the commissioning party because it has revealed level of attractiveness of the railway transit route, defined advantages and disadvantages of the Finnish transit route and suggested the need for cooperation between the Finnish freight providing companies in order to increase attractiveness of the entire route via Finland. Besides, the thesis defined main factors affecting the transit route choice for raw bulk materials transporta-tion. Attractiveness of the railway transit route can be increased also by influencing those factors. Therefore, findings of the research can be used by VR Group as background for the creation of international strategy, directed at increasing attractiveness of the railway transit route via Finland for the transportation of raw materials from Russia westbound.
The thesis research is based on the previous studies of Jumpponen (2007), Kilpeläinen (2004) and Lautso (2005). Previous researches analyzed competitive advantages of the competing transit routes between the West countries and Russia. The main transit routes for the raw materials transportation from Russia westbound have been examined and compared, advantages and disadvantages of the Finnish rail transit route are defined and recommendations on the future development for the Finnish rail transit route are presented in the thesis.
The thesis study was carried as empirical research. Data for the study was gathered by interviewing freight forwarding companies in Finland and Russia and Finnish railway authorities. The analytical approach was qualitative. Overall, eleven qualitative semi-structured interviews have been conducted and one e-mail enquiry has been received during the study process.
The thesis research was commissioned by the state-owned transportation company VR Group. Therefore, implications of findings and conclusions were presented for the commis-sioning party. Also recommendations for the future development of the railway transit transportation have been made.
The thesis research revealed the factors, affecting transit route choice for the transportation of bulk commodities westbound and the level of competitiveness of the Finnish railway transit route for the raw materials transportation westbound. The research revealed that attractiveness of the Finnish railway route is dependant on the attractiveness of the entire transit route via Finland, particularly on the ports’ services. The main problems affecting attractiveness of the railway route as part of the entire route via Finland are the cost levels, lack of flexibility in negotiations and cooperation between railway transportation provider, ports and the other freight providing companies and participants of the transit chain via Finland.
Research findings have supported theoretical background of the study, particularly, factors affecting transit route choice. However, thesis study has defined level of importance of the different factors for the railway transportation of raw bulk materials. Besides, competitive advantages of the railway transit route for the transportation of raw bulk materials differ from the competitive advantages of the route via Finland, presented in previous studies by Lautso (2005), Kilpeläinen (2004) and Jumpponen (2007).
The thesis had practical importance for the commissioning party because it has revealed level of attractiveness of the railway transit route, defined advantages and disadvantages of the Finnish transit route and suggested the need for cooperation between the Finnish freight providing companies in order to increase attractiveness of the entire route via Finland. Besides, the thesis defined main factors affecting the transit route choice for raw bulk materials transporta-tion. Attractiveness of the railway transit route can be increased also by influencing those factors. Therefore, findings of the research can be used by VR Group as background for the creation of international strategy, directed at increasing attractiveness of the railway transit route via Finland for the transportation of raw materials from Russia westbound.