Finnish family forced to leave home as railway expansion takes their property

A family in Hausjärvi, southern Finland, is preparing to leave their home of eight years after the property was compulsorily purchased to make way for the expansion of the Helsinki–Tampere railway line, Yle reports.

Miro Rumbin and his family received notice in summer 2021 that their 1960s wooden house in the Monni area would be demolished to accommodate additional tracks and maintenance roads. The National Land Survey of Finland finalised the purchase last autumn, requiring the family to vacate by the end of May. Rumbin, who had renovated the home extensively—including installing a new roof—said the loss feels deeply personal.

“This house feels like home in my heart. It’s hard to leave this place,” he told Yle while carrying belongings out of the soon-to-be-demolished property.

The family lived in uncertainty for over three years between the initial notice and the finalised sale. While satisfied with the compensation—enough to clear their mortgage and leave some savings—they now reside in a rental apartment half the size of their former home. “We’d hoped for enough to buy another house, but we’re managing,” Rumbin said.

Delays in planning and political funding The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (Väylävirasto) acknowledged the unusually long timeline in this case, attributing it to multi-stage planning, funding dependencies, and political decisions. “Design work doesn’t guarantee a project’s timeline—state funding and political approvals are separate steps,” said agency property specialist Tomi Laajalehto.

A 2023 reform to Finland’s expropriation law now mandates a 25% premium above market value for compulsory purchases, plus housing security provisions—but the change came too late for the Rumbin family, whose sale was finalised under the old rules.

Rumbin had reviewed railway plans before buying the property in 2018, but the final design widened track spacing, placing his home in the project’s path. “Maybe this place will feel like home eventually,” he said of the rental. “People adapt to everything.”