Minister: Finland plans to change its track gauge to European standard

Finland plans to adjust the gauge of its railroad tracks to the European standard, according to Transport Minister Lulu Ranne (Finns), Report informs via Yle.

The minister issued the announcement at a joint press conference on Tuesday, at an informal meeting of Nordic transport ministers in Helsinki.

According to Ranne, the Finnish government will need to make a decision about changing the gauge by July 2027.

Reasons to change the track gauge include improving Finland's security of supply and military mobility, as well as cross-border links to Sweden and Norway.

According to Ranne, the plans are not exclusively a Finnish matter, but a joint project between Europe as well as NATO.

Once started, the track gauge adjustment efforts would begin north of Oulu, a city on the country's northwestern coast.

Towards the end of last month, it was reported that Finland is planning to invest in a future rail link to the Norwegian Sea. At the time, Minister Ranne noted that Finland was under pressure to change its track gauge to the European standard width.

The EU's TEN-T Regulation, which enters into force this summer, includes requirements for countries with different track gauges to study and plan a transition to the standard European 1,435 mm track gauge size. Finland currently uses a 1,524 mm track gauge, which dates back to the 19th century.

About two years ago, the previous government's transport ministry said it would not be cost-efficient for Finland to change the rail gauge.