New train service connects Finland and Sweden for first time in decades
A new passenger train service has launched between Finland and Sweden, marking the first rail connection between the two countries in nearly 40 years. The route aims to improve regional connectivity and is part of a broader effort to standardize European rail infrastructure.
Why it matters
Improved cross-border rail infrastructure facilitates regional economic integration and sustainable travel across Europe.
Image source, VR Image caption, Train services between Haparanda and Oulu were suspended in the late 1980s and early 1990s
A new passenger train linking Finland and Sweden has begun running, creating the first rail connection between northern Finland and southern Europe in nearly 40 years.
Shortly after 05:00 local time (04:00 BST) on Monday, a double-decker train set off from the coastal Finnish city of Oulu, rumbling its way across the border to Sweden.
As the inaugural service crossed the Torne river from Finland and pulled into Sweden's Haparanda station, it was met by crowds of people waving Finnish and Swedish flags.
The route was initially suspended in the late 1980s to the early 1990s, due to low passenger numbers and technical differences in the tracks between Finland and Europe.
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