The Finnish and Swedish transport agencies agreed on a new measure that will facilitate traffic at the Tornio (FI) – Haparanda (SE) border crossing, where the gauge changes from 1524 to 1435 mm. The initiative is expected to provide more clarity and predictability to operators active along this axis.
“The agreement makes it possible to operate traffic with 1524 mm gauge rolling stock that has been approved on the Finnish rail network to Haparanda with a rolling stock permit that is valid in Finland. Correspondingly, it is possible to operate traffic with 1435 mm gauge rolling stock from Sweden to Tornio with a rolling stock permit that is valid in Sweden”, Finnish transport agency Traficom specified.
In other words, thanks to the new agreement, valid since 10 April 2026, single safety certificates will also cover the border crossing point, reducing the administrative burden. “When the main area of operation is in Finland, the certificate also covers Haparanda. When the main area of operation is in Sweden, the certificate also covers Tornio”, Traficom added. The arrangement also establishes the role of the two national transport agencies and how information is to be exchanged.
The Tornio-Haparanda border crossing
The Tornio-Haparanda section is the only rail border crossing between Finland and Sweden. Somewhere between six and 10 trains travel here every day, with steel and forest products being the main goods moved. The 1524 mm gauge line in Finland extends to Haparanda, while the 1435 mm gauge used in Sweden extends to Tornio.