Court ruling clears path for removal of deadly Finnish level crossing

A long-disputed 100-metre stretch of road has delayed the removal of a dangerous level crossing in Siilinjärvi, eastern Finland, but a land court ruling now allows the project to proceed, Yle reports.

The Tikkala crossing, where two people died in a collision between a van and a train in August 2025, will be eliminated once a replacement road is built. Plans to close both Tikkala and the nearby Aappola crossings were approved in 2019, but legal disputes over the new road’s alignment stalled progress.

Last week, the land court—Finland’s specialised property dispute tribunal—upheld a request from two landowners to relocate the replacement road farther from their property boundary. The original route had been contested since 2024, first in district court and later in the land court.

The ruling can still be appealed to the Supreme Court within 60 days. If no appeal is filed, the National Land Survey will redesign the 100-metre section, with a new planning meeting expected by late summer.

Target completion set for summer 2027
Project manager Matti Tossavainen of consultancy Ramboll, working for the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, said the goal is to finalise the road’s route before the meeting to avoid further delays. Construction on the Tikkala replacement—partially crossing farmland—cannot begin until after the September harvest.

“If all goes as planned, the Tikkala and Aappola crossings will be removed by summer 2027,” Tossavainen said. The two sites form a single project, with their replacement routes designed as a cohesive system.

A separate complaint about procedural errors in the Aappola crossing’s removal was dismissed by the land court.

Decades-long process
Efforts to close the Tikkala crossing, classified as high-risk, have spanned nearly 20 years. While all parties agree on the need for removal, disagreements over the replacement road’s location and design caused repeated delays.

Finland removes 50–60 level crossings annually, but projects often face protracted timelines due to legal challenges and environmental assessments. Costs vary widely, from €10,000 for minor upgrades to millions for bridge constructions. Local residents had pushed for an overpass in Siilinjärvi, but authorities opted for a detour route instead.