New rail link reconnects Finland and Sweden in North
Passenger rail service between Kemi, Tornio and Haparanda was discontinued in 1988, leaving the border region without a direct rail link for decades.
A new rail service linking Oulu in northern Finland with Haparanda in Sweden began on Monday, with the first train departing in the morning.
The new service is historic, though not the first train across the border. Passenger rail services between Kemi, Tornio and Haparanda ended in 1988, when the old railbuses were retired.
“People have been waiting for a rail connection ever since,” said Jukka Kujala, the mayor of Tornio.
Finland is now plugged into the EU rail network. (Yle)
State railways VR will run two return services between Oulu and Haparanda each day. The early-morning train is followed by a second service departing Oulu at 7.50pm and returning late in the evening.
VR said timetables would improve next year.
Connections to Helsinki and Stockholm
The return train from Haparanda to Finland offers onward connections all the way to Helsinki.
From Haparanda, passengers can continue by Norrtåg commuter trains to destinations such as Boden and Luleå. Boden, in turn, offers connections on SJ, Sweden’s largest rail operator, to destinations further north and south. From Luleå, passengers can travel onwards to Stockholm.
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This story is posted on the Barents Observer as part of Eye on the Arctic, a collaborative partnership between public and private circumpolar media organizations.
