The Finnish government has announced the conversion of its rail network from Russian gauge (1,524 mm) to European standard (1,435 mm). This historic decision reinforces its integration with the European Union and NATO.
The change, presented by Transport Minister Lulu Ranne at a meeting of Nordic ministers in Helsinki, is in response to the need to improve military mobility and regional security, especially in the wake of Finland’s NATO membership and growing tensions with Russia.
The project, which will start in the north of the country near Oulu, aims to remove technical obstacles to transporting troops and goods between Finland, Sweden and Norway.
The government is expected to make the final decision by July 2027, with construction starting around 2032. European funding will be key: the EU could cover up to 50% of planning costs and 30% of construction.
The transition, which will cost billions of euros, affect more than 9,200 km of track, and take decades, symbolises a geopolitical and strategic shift for Finland, which, with this decision, fully aligns itself with European infrastructure.
