For the first time in decades, Finland and Sweden are linked by a new train service.

A new passenger rail service linking Oulu in northern Finland and Haparanda in Sweden launched on August 10, 2026, restoring cross-border train travel between the two countries for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Connecting Finland and Sweden

The service runs along the northeastern coast of the Bay of Bothnia, between Finnish Oulu – a major port, the country’s fourth-largest conurbation by population, and sometimes known as the capital of northern Finland – and Haparanda in Sweden, a former fur and timber export hub at the mouth of the Torne River.

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Passengers traveling farther into Sweden transfer at Haparanda station to Swedish Norrtåg commuter trains bound for Boden, Luleå, and onward connections. From Oulu, travelers have full access to the Finnish rail network, including direct connections to Helsinki.

Suspended in the late 1980s

These train services between Haparanda and Oulu were suspended in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Finland uses the same track gauge as Russia, which is wider than the European standard – a holdover from when the Nordic nation was part of the Russian Grand Duchy in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Finland is currently updating its track gauge to match the European standard.

Now, two daily return services operate in both directions every day of the week. The journey takes one hour and forty minutes to complete the full 128-km route. Fares start at €5.40, though pricing and availability will depend on the season and demand. The service will be operated on board double-decker trains belonging to the Finnish state rail company VR. The stock has “Eko” (second class) and “Ekstra” (first class) accommodations, a bistro, a playroom for children, and a range of seating options. Stops include Kemi and the Finnish border town of Tornio before arriving in Haparanda.

As the inaugural service crossed the Torne River from Finland and pulled into Sweden’s Haparanda station, it was greeted by crowds waving Finnish and Swedish flags.

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The Longest Train Journey in Europe

The advent of the new connection also opens a 24-hour itinerary between Helsinki and Stockholm and enables an epic 5,000-km rail adventure from the southern tip of Europe, Portugal’s Algarve, to Finland’s northernmost train station, Kolari, which is being hailed as Europe’s longest train journey.

Finland has not operated any trains on foreign soil since Russia’s war with Ukraine began in 2022, when it stopped running services to St. Petersburg. It’s been even longer since Sweden and Finland had a rail connection, as VR’s Director for New Traffic, Juho Hannukainen, noted: “The last VR train over the border operated in 1988 and SJ’s [Swedish state rail firm Statens Järnvägar] in 1992. After a long wait, the return of rail traffic on this route has been met with great enthusiasm.”

Timetables on the Oulu–Haparanda route

There will be altogether 28 weekly services on the route.

Timetables (in local time):

• IC 401, Mon–Sat, Oulu 05:08 → Haaparanta 05:45
• IC 403, Sun, Oulu, 06:50 → Haaparanta 07:45
• IC 407, Mon–Sun, Oulu 19:50 → Haaparanta 20:30
• IC 402, Mon-Sat, Haaparanta 06:20 → Oulu 09:00
• IC 404, Sun, Haaparanta 08:54 → Oulu 11:32
• IC 408, Mon–Sun, Haaparanta 20:45 → Oulu 23:20

Stops: Oulu, Kemi, Tornio-Itäinen, Tornio, Haaparanta (Sweden)

New Train Service Between Sweden and Finland, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
All images © VR