Finland to build new railway link to Norway

Finland is moving ahead with plans to build a new standard-gauge railway connecting the northern town of Kemi to Sweden’s Haparanda, setting the stage for a future link to the Norwegian port of Narvik. The government allocated 20 million euros for initial planning in its mid-term budget talks this week. Transport Minister Lulu Ranne described the rail project as a strategic move to improve Finland’s military readiness and commercial transport capacity.