A new passenger train service has restored a rail connection between Finland and Sweden for the first time in nearly 40 years. The twice-daily service runs between Finland’s coastal city of Oulu and Haparanda in Sweden, with the inaugural train crossing the Torne River on Monday. The arrival in Haparanda was welcomed by crowds waving Finnish and Swedish flags.

The route was suspended in the late 1980s and early 1990s because of low passenger numbers and differences in railway track widths. Finland uses a wider track gauge, inherited from its history as part of the Russian Empire, while most of Europe uses a narrower standard gauge. The new journey takes around 100 minutes, although passengers heading further into Sweden must change trains at Haparanda.

The restored connection could strengthen rail travel across northern Europe and make longer journeys more accessible. It also opens the possibility of travelling by train for around 5,000km from Portugal’s Algarve region to Finland’s northernmost railway station at Kolari. A rail journey between Helsinki and Stockholm could also now be completed in about 24 hours, highlighting renewed interest in cross-border rail travel.

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