Railways in

Finland

A train of the Jokioinen Museum Railway waits at Humppila station, a VR passenger service passing in the background.
The steam locomotive is no.6, Helga, a 750mm gauge 2-8-0 built in 1909 for the Lovisa-Wesijärvi Railway
The VR service has a class Sr2 6MW Bo-Bo electric locomotive with a train of double deck passenger carriages.

The first railway in Finland opened in 1862 between Helsinki and Hämeenlinna. At that time, Finland was part of the Russian Empire, so the line was built to the Russian gauge of 1524mm (now 1520mm) in anticipation of its eventual connection with the rest of the Russian network. The remainder of the Finnish main line network was developed to the same gauge, which it retains today.

Finland has an international rail connection with Sweden, via a bridge over the River Tornio, opened in 1919. The bridge is dual gauge (1520 and 1435mm), with through freight requiring transhipment, although gauge changing wagons are a possibility for the future. Passenger services ceased in 1988, but in 2006 a service was introduced between Oulo and Haparanda (Sweden). This operates on the 1520mm lines with no change of gauge.

International connections with Russia have been closed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In 2021, a feasibility study was conducted into the construction of a new undersea rail tunnel connecting the Finnish rail network with that of Estonia. In 2024, the Finnish and Estonian governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support the ongoing project.

• VR Group the national network
  • VR Passenger Services national and regional passenger operator
  • VR Logistics freight operator
• FTIA infrastructure manager
• NRC Group Finland infrastructure construction and maintenance company
• Lentorata proposed new or enhanced railways linking Helsinki with Tampere ans Vantaa Airport
• West Railway proposed new railway linking Helsinki and Turku
• Fenniarail independent freight operator
• North Rail Cargo independent freight operator
• Nurminen Logistics independent freight operator
• FinEst Link proposed undersea link to Estonia
• Jokioinen Museum Railway steam hauled tourist railway between Humppila and Jokioinen, about 14 km, 750mm gauge. Operates Saturdays or Sundays during the summer, and a few days in December
• Nykarleby Jernväg 600mm gauge line about 2km in length from the museum at Kovjoki. Usually steam hauled. Operates most Sundays during the summer (Site in Finnish and Swedish)
• Porvoo Museum Railway tourist railway between Porvoo and Kerava, about 40km, 1520mm gauge. Steam hauled or historic diesel railcars. Operates various days during the summer (Site mainly in Finnish with some information in English)
• The Finnish Railway Museum in Hyvinkää has a miniature railway operating in the summer months on days when the museum is open (Site in Finnish, contains few details relating to railway)
• Satakunnan Elämysrautatie pedal driven trolleys on various sections of the 50km line between Pori and Kankaanpää (Site in Finnish)
• Helsinki Metro and trams
• Tampere trams
• Turku
  • funicular
  • proposed trams
• Vantaa proposed trams