A new passenger train service between Finland and Sweden began operating on Monday, August 10, 2026. This marks the first rail connection between northern Finland and southern Europe in nearly 40 years.
The inaugural double-decker train departed from Oulu, Finland, shortly after 05:00 local time, crossing the border into Sweden. The service was met by crowds waving Finnish and Swedish flags upon its arrival at Haparanda station.
The route was previously suspended due to low passenger numbers and technical differences in track widths. Finland uses wider tracks, a legacy from its time as part of the Russian Grand Duchy, and is currently updating its track widths to match the European standard.
The new service runs twice daily, taking 100 minutes to travel from Oulu to Haparanda. Passengers continuing southward from Haparanda will need to transfer to a different train. This connection makes it possible to travel approximately 5,000km by rail from Portugal's Algarve to Kolari, Finland, which is believed to be the longest train route in Europe. It also facilitates a 24-hour train journey between Helsinki and Stockholm.