1. Annual report 2015
  2. Business operations
  3. VR
  4. Avecra
  • Supervisory Board
  • Risk management
  • Insider administration
  • Audit
  • Internal audit
  • Remuneration
  • VR City Traffic
  • Properties
  • Conductor
  • For the investor

    • Avecra

    • Avecra, which provides restaurant and catering services, renewed its strategy in 2015. The goal is to bring Avecra’s services in closer collaboration with VR.
    • Avecra's profitability and customer satisfaction are ensured with innovative concept developments and an efficient operating model.
    • Avecra provides services for around 6 million customers annually.
    • Around 160 restaurant car routes operate daily in Finland, and 8 internationally. The second owner of Avecra is the British Rail Gourmer Group.

    Avecra’s services cover both trains and stations. Around half of VR’s long-distance trains have either a restaurant car or a moving sales trolley. Restaurant cars feature warm meals, various cold and hot drinks as well as small savoury and sweet treats. The sales trolley has a more limited selection than the restaurant car.

    Station restaurant services are offered by Avecra in seven different railway stations across Finland. Their services include fully-licensed á la carte restaurants and fast-food restaurants, which serve sit-down meals as well as takeaway food. Their fast service is a cornerstone of Avecra’s operations. In addition, the services include three varied Stop@Station kiosk that offer reading materials as well as food and beverages.

    Improving efficiency

    In the autumn of 2015, Avecra held co-determination negotiations and streamlined its administration and adjusted its operations in accordance with the company’s new strategic objectives. At the same time, it was decided to move the warehouse in Oulu to Tampere, where it can better supply passenger trains in the entire rail network. Avecra’s main warehouse is located in the Helsinki depot in Ilmala, in addition to a smaller warehouse in the Helsinki railway station.

    Avecra is constantly developing its selection and customer feedback and surveys are utisiled in its product development.

    Agile experiments

    In 2016, Avecra will focus even more on testing new concepts for trains. The goal is to utilise various trials for improving the comfort of trabel, providing new experiences for train travel and expanding the services that it provides.

    The first test began in January 2016, when VR and Avecra jointly launched a Robert's Coffee car. This cafe car mainly operates between Helsinki and Turku. The cafe-like atmosphere replicates the look and feel of Robert’s Coffee cafes. Their selection includes various high-quality speciality coffees, savoury and sweet snacks, salads and Robert's Coffee’s signature teas.

    Station services are developed alongside train services. The new Dixi station centre that was opened in 2015 in Tikkurila features a large variety of restaurant services. The product range in the restaurants, kiosks and cafes at stations is also being continuously developed while taking seasonal changes into account.