Storm damages railway line in Karelian region of Finland, halting train services

Last night’s storm caused significant damage to the railway line in the Karelian region of Eastern and Southeastern Finland. Fallen trees blocked the tracks in multiple locations, disrupting the electrical wires essential for train operations. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is currently assessing the situation to identify where the trees have fallen.

Due to a power outage, rail traffic on the Karelian line is halted, with VR (the Finnish state-owned railway company) providing bus transportation for passengers between Kouvola and Joensuu.

The storm inflicted considerable damage in Kouvola and Parikkala, particularly affecting the rail section between Kesälahti and Parikkala. Multiple trees have fallen onto the tracks, resulting in electrical faults. Efforts are underway to locate the exact sites of these faults.

“Each individual tree causes operational disruptions. Trees will be removed first, followed by repairs to the track infrastructure,” explained Janne Nieminen, the head of electrical operations at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

The fallen trees in Kouvola and surrounding rail areas have kept maintenance staff busy since early this morning. As of the morning update, Fintraffic has not yet provided a report on the total number of fallen trees. It is anticipated that repairs on the Karelian line may extend into the afternoon.