Finland’s transport minister denies plans for second rail link to Sweden

Finland’s transport minister Lulu Ranne has clarified that no second railway connection to Sweden is being planned, contradicting an earlier announcement by her ministry.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Transport and Communications stated on its website that the government would begin planning a second cross-border rail link alongside the existing Tornio–Kemi route. The announcement was reported by public broadcaster Yle and regional newspaper Lapin Kansa.

However, in a statement to Yle on Friday, Ranne (Finns Party) dismissed the claim, saying the ministry has “no other plans” beyond upgrading the existing Haaparanta–Kemi line—part of the European Rail Baltica corridor—to standard-gauge tracks suitable for Western European trains. Future extensions may reach Rovaniemi’s Misi district to the north and Oulu to the south.

The minister acknowledged that the broader “NATO-compatible” tracks between Haaparanta and Tornio are already operational, with passenger services set to launch this summer.

When asked why Thursday’s press release had been removed and replaced with an updated version omitting the second rail link, Ranne replied via text message: “That information was probably a mistake.”

The existing Haaparanta–Tornio route currently uses dual-gauge tracks accommodating both Finnish broad gauge and Swedish standard gauge.