The Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications LVM has instructed the Finnish Transport Agency Väylävirasto to prepare a study on the extension of a European-gauge railway line from Haparanda in Sweden to Finland. The study will analyse the need and demand for new European-gauge connections between Finland and Sweden from the prospect of passenger rail transport, industry, and military mobility. Possible risks, various route options, technical aspects, and the costs of implementation will also be taken into account. A study on the introduction of the European standard gauge in Finland was already carried out in 2023 based on the European Commission's proposal to build new railway lines in the trans-European transport network TEN-T in standard gauge without exception. However, the results showed that the introduction is not cost-effective.
