PONSSE TO COOPERATE WITH VR
PONSSE OYJ PRESS RELEASE 12 APRIL 2006, 2:00 p.m.
PONSSE TO COOPERATE WITH VR Ponsse Oyj and the VR Group have signed a co-operation agreement according to which Ponsse's export transport to harbours will be handled by railway traffic. The transport service will be the responsibility of VR Cargo, the rail freight division of VR Ltd. Ponsse Oyj's export and foreign operations account for approximately sixty-five per cent of the company's turnover, and the majority of export deliveries are delivered to customers by sea. "With our increased export operations, we want to ensure that our forest machines are delivered safely and in an environmentally friendly way," says Arto Tiitinen, President and CEO of Ponsse Oyj. "Railway transport is the friendliest for the environment, and by transferring the export transport of our products from roads to railways we can reduce the environmental impacts of our transport activities. Increased road transport always poses safety risks, and railway transport provides us with a safe transport solution," continues Tiitinen. Since the fall 2005, Ponsse and VR have planned and tested together the functionality of railway traffic for Ponsse's export transports. Freight will be transported mainly at night-time. "Efficient connections offer us new opportunities for expanding our export operations. Punctual and reliable transports are of major importance for the fluent operation of our export network," says Tiitinen. VR Ltd. is the leading freight and passenger traffic company in Finland, employing approximately 7,700 people. In 2005, turnover for the company's railway business totalled EUR 653.8 million. Last year, the ISO 14001 environmental certificate was expanded to cover all of VR Ltd.'s operations. In 2005, carbon dioxide emissions generated from railway traffic were reduced by nine per cent on the previous year, especially due to the increased use of electric railways. Electrically powered traffic accounts for 80.3 per cent of all railway traffic in Finland. Vieremä, 12 April 2006 PONSSE OYJ Arto Tiitinen President and CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: President and CEO, Ponsse Oyj Tel. +358 (0)400 566 875 DISTRIBUTION Helsinki Stock Exchange Principal media www.ponsse.com