OREANDA-NEWS. January 28, 2013. A meeting in Petrozavodsk has been held to discuss the development of passenger rail services between the Republic of Karelia and Finland and the prospects for tourist trains between Petrozavodsk - Joensuu with the possibility of extending services to Kajaani in Finland, reported the press-centre of RZD.

The meeting was attended by the heads of the Federal Passenger Company, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, the Republic of Karelia and representatives from regional tour operators.

In his address to the meeting, Oleg Nikitin, Deputy Managing Director of the Federal Passenger Company, said that the FPC was ready to begin regular services by the March 2013 holidays, but this would require active work of the part of tour operators to sell the seats. At the same time, he noted, the cost of tickets would depend on the number of carriages in the train - the more passengers the train carries, the lower the fare will be.

The tour operators expressed a desire to develop a long-term timetable for services between Petrozavodsk - Joensuu around which trains could be laid on during major cultural, sporting and business events held in the Republic of Karelia and Finland.

Alexander Chazhengin, First Deputy Head of the Republic of Karelia for Regional Politics, expressed a readiness to provide full support in developing the project.

"Experience in organising these services is both useful and necessary, so we will pursue that and expect the same from our partners and colleagues at the ministries and agencies involved, the railway companies themselves and the tour operators," said Chazhengin.

Work is also continuing at the moment with the customs and border authorities to organise the necessary controls at border crossings.

The first train between Petrozavodsk - Joensuu departed on 28 December 2012. The train included 6 compartment carriages and one sleeping car. The timetable was drawn up so that passengers spent the night en route and arrived in Joensuu in the morning.

It is planned that tourist trains laid on at the request of tour operators will run during the first phase of the project. In the future, the Federal Passenger Company can lay on regular passenger services 3-5 times a week provided there is sufficient passenger demand.