In its report on Tuesday, Helsingin Sanomat quoted several independent sources as saying that plans being formulated by Berner and three high-ranking ministry officials are already well advanced.

The paper wrote it is most likely that under the plan a company holding ownership of rolling stock would initially be a VR subsidiary, but at a later date be transferred to the Finnish Transport Agency.

The plan is said to be part of the larger target of opening all rail transport to competition. Freight traffic was opened to competition in 2007, but in practice still remains the preserve of VR. Passenger rail traffic is to become subject to competition next year. In practical terms, this will require that in one way or another VR will have to make rolling stock available to competitors. A separate company owing VR’s engines and rail cars could hire them out to other rail operators.

Prime Minister Juha Sipilä told Yle that if breaking up VR had been discussed within the government at some point, he would have known about it because since he is also the minister charged with managing state ownership affairs.

Sipilä said that the government is formulating a strategy for management of state assets, but that it does not deal with VR's internal affairs and added that a discussion on means to open rail traffic to competition will be carried out this coming summer.