A new rail link between Finland and Sweden began running on Monday, 10 August, marking the return of cross border train travel between the two countries after a four decade gap. The first train left Oulu bound for Haparanda in Sweden shortly after 5am, crossing the border about a quarter of an hour behind schedule, at roughly 7am, due to ongoing track works.
Oulu Haparanda train service runs twice daily
The route now operates twice a day, once early in the morning and once in the evening, run by Finnish operator VR. A Yle reporter travelling on the inaugural service noted that the first train was nowhere near full. Among the passengers on board were Lumi Hultkrantz and Vilma Jaatinen, on their way to go hiking in Abisko, who described the new connection as a genuinely convenient option and said it could open up easier onward trips elsewhere in Europe via Sweden in the future.
Cross border rail Nordic history: not entirely without precedent
While the launch is being described as historic, it isn’t technically the first time trains have crossed this particular border. A railbus service, known locally as “Lättähattu”, ran between Kemi, Tornio and Haparanda until it stopped in 1988. Jukka Kujala, mayor of Tornio, noted that a proper train connection has been anticipated ever since that service ended, and a sizeable crowd turned out at Haparanda station to greet the arriving train, even though it was still only around 6am local Swedish time.
Oulu Haparanda train timetable
| Train | Days | Departure | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|
| IC 401 | Mon-Sat | Oulu 05:08 | Haparanda 05:45 |
| IC 403 | Sun | Oulu 06:50 | Haparanda 07:45 |
| IC 407 | Mon-Sun | Oulu 19:50 | Haparanda 20:30 |
| IC 402 | Mon-Sat | Haparanda 06:20 | Oulu 09:00 |
| IC 404 | Sun | Haparanda 08:54 | Oulu 11:32 |
| IC 408 | Mon-Sun | Haparanda 20:45 | Oulu 23:20 |
All times are local. Schedule subject to change; check with VR before travelling.
Timetables expected to improve from next year
VR built the initial Oulu-Tornio-Haparanda timetable around the rolling stock it currently has available, after funding for the route was only confirmed toward the end of last year, too late to free up additional schedule slots with the existing fleet. Connecting services on both sides of the border have been factored in where possible, though VR acknowledges those connections aren’t yet optimal this autumn. Sweden’s own train timetables, for instance, had already been finalised before it was confirmed that trains from Finland would actually be running.
Juho Hannukainen, VR’s head of new traffic, expressed confidence that onward connections will improve going forward, pointing to the EU wide shift to the 2027 timetable period this coming December as the point from which scheduling across the network should work considerably better.
Onward connections to Helsinki and Stockholm
The return service from Haparanda connects all the way through to Helsinki. From Haparanda itself, travellers can continue on Norrtåg regional trains toward Boden or Luleå. Boden in turn opens up further connections both north and south via SJ, Sweden’s largest train operator, while Luleå offers a route through to Stockholm.
The inaugural Oulu-Haparanda service carried a notable group of passengers, including Finland’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Lulu Ranne, along with the mayors of Oulu and Tornio, other municipal officials, and representatives from Traficom and VR. Ranne described the connection as personally meaningful too, having regularly travelled between Haparanda and Tornio by railbus as a young student attending school in Haparanda. According to Ranne, the new route came about largely on Finland’s own initiative and drive.
