Finland is set to introduce a new cross-border rail connection to Sweden this summer, marking the first time Finnish trains will operate outside the country since 2022.
Located between the cities of Oulu (Finland) and Luleå (Sweden), the €1.9 million project restores the Tornio–Haparanda rail link, re-establishing passenger train services across the Finnish-Swedish border for the first time in more than 30 years. The reopening will also reconnect Finland more directly to Europe’s wider rail network.
Once operational, the service will make it possible to travel by train from Kolari in Finnish Lapland—Finland’s northernmost station—through to southern Europe, potentially reaching Portugal’s Algarve. The route is being highlighted as one of the longest possible continuous rail journeys in Europe, at around 5,000 kilometers.
A key feature of the project is a planned Helsinki–Stockholm rail journey of roughly 24 hours. However, officials note that ferries or flights may still remain more practical and cost-effective for many travelers.
“The grand opening of this route will hopefully be just before Midsummer in late June,” said Sampo Kangastalo, development director for the Finnish border city of Tornio, speaking to Yle, Finland’s national broadcaster.
Finland is fully funding the project through state investment, with plans for continued support through the 2030s.
The twin border towns of Tornio (Finland) and Haparanda (Sweden) are central to the initiative. While rail infrastructure has long existed between the two, passenger services were discontinued in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since then, travelers have had to cross the border on foot or by road between the nearest train stations.
Simple transfer inside Haparanda station
Under the new system, Finnish VR trains will terminate at Tornio C, while Swedish Norrtåg services will operate from Haparanda. Passengers will be able to transfer simply by walking through the restored Haparanda station building, which sits directly between the two rail systems.
“The Haparanda station building is located between the Finnish and Swedish tracks,” Kangastalo explained to the radio. “So changing from VR to Swedish Norrtåg trains will just mean walking through the station—it’s very straightforward.”
The reopening also marks a symbolic milestone: Finland’s first international rail operations since services to St. Petersburg were suspended in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finnish Transport and Communications Minister Lulu Ranne said to Finland Yle that the goal is to launch services during the summer, though an exact opening date has not yet been confirmed.
She added that the new link would strengthen resilience and improve cross-border mobility, supporting commuting, education, everyday travel, and tourism between Finland and Sweden.
