Planning Seamless Railway Connections from Northern Finland to Northern Norway

The Finnish government recently agreed on several significant transport investments with a focus on military mobility.

The government is to launch infrastructure projects that are necessary from a defence perspective and will reserve funding for projects worth 112 million euros in different parts of Finland, including improvements to critical road connections, bridges and the planning of transport routes. 

Among the projects being prioritised is Rail Nordica, which entails changing the track gauge on the railway in Northern Finland. In the long term, this will lead to direct railway connections between Norway, Sweden and Finland in the North.

First and foremost, the government is now confirming that it is prioritising the planning of a European standard track gauge between the Northern Finnish towns of Tornio and Kemi. 

According to the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the planning work is expected to continue until 2029.

Seamless connections in the High North

As High North News har previously reported, a process is now underway that involves changing the track gauge in Northern Finland to the Swedish and Norwegian standard, and to connect Finland more closely to its neighbouring countries.

The gauge on the Finnish railway network is approximately 90 millimetres wider than the European standard used in both Norway and Sweden.

The adaptation to the European standard has become even more relevant following Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO. 

Must change trains at the border

“A well-functioning transport infrastructure is part of Finland’s comprehensive security. Northern cross-border connections are critical not only for the Nordic countries but also for the EU and NATO. These connections must be efficient under all circumstances,” stresses Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne in a press release.

As mentioned in connection with the investment in military mobility, the transition to a European track gauge concerns the links between the Northern Finnish towns of Tornio and Kemi in the first phase.

Tornio is located close to the border with Sweden and the Swedish town of Haparanda. 

At present, freight and passengers have to change trains at the Swedish border, and the Finnish government has previously pointed out that Tornio and Haparanda are bottlenecks in terms of military mobility.

An important corridor for Finland

In the long term, the transition to European track gauge will also lay the foundation for a seamless railway connection, via the Iron Ore Line and the Ofoten Line, to the port of Narvik in Northern Norway. 

The port of Narvik is one of the key gateways in Nordic region for receiving Allied reinforcements and their transit further eastwards towards Sweden and Finland.

"The investments now being made in Finland is extremely important for the whole of the High North," stresses Port Director in Narvik, Børge Edvardsen Klingan, to High North News. 

He elaborates on the importance for Finland of having a secure corridor westwards, and that corridor is now being prioritised with rail and road connections towards Narvik.

"If, for example, a threat situation were to arise at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, one could face a similar situation to what we have seen in the Strait of Hormuz; that goods and production inputs cannot move in and out. It is key for Finland to establish alternative corridors," Klingan says. 

At the same time, the port director is clear that the investment also creates opportunities for Norway.

"If Norway follows up and helps provide greater capacity on the Ofoten Line and reception areas in [the port area, ed. note], that will also contribute to create many jobs on the Norwegian side."

A need for increased capacity 

Klingan has long been clear about the importance of increasing capacity on the Ofoten Railway Line, which he describes as Norway's bottleneck, and believes that the growth expected over the next decades means that double tracks on the line is a necessity. 

"A related element also concerns future extraction of critical minerals in Northern Sweden, and probably also in Northern Finland, and securing supplies to Europe. Here, it is quite obvious that the corridor towards Narvik plays a central role."

He concludes by making it clear that Finland has a targeted investment in infrastructure in the North. 

"There are very many things now pointing to the need for increased capacity and a double track on the Ofoten Line towards Sweden and Finland in the long term. The recent developments on the Finnish side is an important signal for the Norwegian government to take on board, and on the Norwegian side we need to follow suit. However, it does appear that the Norwegian government is now beginning to recognise the needs here and its responsibility," he says.