Finland’s western rail link construction delayed until next government term

Construction of Finland’s planned Länsirata western rail link will be postponed until the next government term, transport and communications minister Lulu Ranne (Finns Party) confirmed to news agency STT on Monday.

Pekka Ottavainen, CEO of Länsirata Oy, the state-owned company overseeing the project, told STT that construction work is now targeted to begin in 2028. Ranne added that a final investment decision will only be made once all bureaucratic procedures are complete.

The 210-kilometre double-track railway, designed to cut travel times between Turku and the Helsinki region, has faced repeated delays since its initial planning stages. The latest estimate places the project’s total cost at around €3 billion.