Tunnel in Lievestuore, Central Finland, goes up for auction with starting bid of €12,000

After a four-meter wide entrance, rugged rock walls stretch endlessly. The Pönttövuori tunnel, over a century old and 1,223 meters long, is now up for sale. The Finnish National Senate Properties has put the old railway tunnel in Lievestuore, Central Finland, on auction through Huutokaupat.com. Within a day, the starting bid, set at €12,000, doubled to €29,000 by Friday evening.

Riku Hagman, a property manager at Senate Properties, described walking through the tunnel on a summer day, noting it felt endless and that water dripping from the ceiling froze on the ground, making it uncomfortable to walk in summer footwear. The tunnel has had its tracks and other railway technology removed, and gates were installed at both ends about ten years ago. Retired conductor and railway enthusiast Kari Lamberg reminisced about the days when people could freely enter the tunnel, recalling that he had ridden a bicycle through it, while others took motorcycles and cars.

Alongside the tunnel, the sale includes a seven-hectare land area. Hagman indicated that the price largely reflects the value of the forested land, as the tunnel itself is in poor condition and has not been renovated in 30 years, posing risks of falling rocks.

The tunnel was constructed between 1914 and 1918 and has no museum restrictions on its use; however, significant investments would be necessary for its future. Lamberg expressed hope that the buyer would maintain the eastern end of the tunnel, a significant landmark with an impressive archway and inscriptions. The last trains ran through the tunnel in 1995, coinciding with the opening of a new tunnel allowing train traffic between Central Finland and Savonia. The bidding will conclude on October 28, with the Senate Properties board making the final decision afterward.