A new train service between Finland and Sweden has launched, connecting the two countries by rail for the first time in decades.

The new service, which began on 5am on Monday, will run between Finnish Oulo and Swedish Haaparanta along the Gulf of Bothnia coastline, taking around one hour and 40 minutes.

While prices vary throughout the year, the lowest price between Oulu and Haaparanta is €5.40 (£4.60) for a journey booked for mid-October.

Operated by VR, Finland's state-owned railway, there will be two daily services in both directions every day of the week. Before the launch, passengers were required to cross the border by car or on foot.

Services were originally suspended in the late 1980s and early 1990s due to declining passenger numbers and the difference in track size between Finland and Europe.

Finland uses the same gauge, or track width, as Russia, which is wider than most European networks. The country is currently in the process of updating gauge measurements to match that of the continent.

As a result, the new train will not venture into Sweden beyond Haaparanta. For onward travel, passengers must switch from VR to Swedish Norrtåg trains at Haaparanta station.

The new VR trains now stop at the Tornio C station, in Finland, before terminating at Haparanda. Finland has not operated trains in other countries since the cessation of services to St Petersburg in 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The new service has widened the network of train connections across Europe. It will make it possible for passengers to complete a 3,100-mile journey between Kolari in Lapland, Finland’s northernmost station, down to Portugal’s Algarve. It is thought that this will be the longest rail journey in Europe.

The train link will also enable a 24-hour train link between capitals Helsinki and Stockholm – although it will be more budget-friendly and convenient to travel via ferry or plane.

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