The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency has selected AFRY and Sweco as planning partners for the Rail Nordica project

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency has selected a consortium consisting of AFRY and Sweco as the planning partner for the Rail Nordica project. In the procurement, the planning services for the Rail Nordica project for 2026–2030 were put out to tender.

The Rail Nordica project is planning a European-track-gauge railway connection from Haparanda to Tornio–Kemi and further to the port of Kemi. The planning also includes the Tornio–Röyttä section. In addition, the project is planning a transfer loading site and the renovation of the Tornionjoki railway bridge.

In practice, the planning includes separate investigations, measurements and ground surveys as well as the preparation of general plans and environmental impact assessments.

In 2025, the Rail Nordica project received a planning authorisation totalling EUR 20 million. The value of the procurement of planning services that was now put out to tender is approximately EUR 18 million.

Consortium Pohjantähti was selected as the planning partner

The procurement of Rail Nordica planning services began in autumn 2025. The procurement was conducted as a negotiation procedure and a market dialogue was held with infrastructure planning operators before the procurement was launched. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s procurement decision was made on 24 April 2026.

The tender was won by the consortium Pohjantähti, which consists of AFRY and Sweco. The form of agreement is a collaborative planning project that includes a development phase and a planning implementation phase. The development phase agreement will be signed on 22 May 2026.

“Rail Nordica is an important planning entity for the development of rail connections between Finland and Sweden. With the tendering process, we will be able to move the project forward with the planning partners,” says Jaakko Knuutila, Division Director, Planning at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

The European track gauge would improve connections from Sweden to Northern Finland

The purpose of Rail Nordica is to plan a rail connection in the European track gauge from Sweden to Northern Finland. The project supports military mobility, security of supply and business operating conditions. No decisions on the construction of the projects have been made.

Finland uses a track gauge of 1524 mm. Sweden, on the other hand, uses the standard European track gauge of 1435 mm. The Finnish and Swedish rail networks are connected on the Tornionjoki railway bridge, where rail traffic currently runs on an overlapping track that enables both track gauges.

The electrification of the Laurila–Tornio–Haparanda line section implemented in 2021–2025 enables passenger train traffic between Finland and Sweden. The goal is for passenger train traffic between Tornio and Haparanda to start in 2026.

“Northern rail connections play an important role in everyday mobility, business transports and security of supply. The Rail Nordica planning specifies how cross-border traffic can be streamlined and what solutions can be used to introduce the European track gauge as part of the rail connections in Northern Finland,” says Knuutila.

The development phase begins in June

The development phase of the Rail Nordica project will begin after the agreement is made in June 2026. The development phase is expected to take until spring 2027.

In the development phase, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency and the consortium Pohjantähti will jointly specify the content and scope of the planning, the project parts to be planned, and the arrangements and organisation of the planning implementation phase.

“The goal is to ensure that the planning will progress smoothly, and we will focus on the most important issues and the areas that are the most urgent. This is also a new type of railway planning, so all solutions are not readily available,” says Outi Leuhtonen, Project Manager at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency.

After the development phase, the project can move on to the planning implementation phase. The end result will be various reports and plans in accordance with the Railway Act that are needed before the possible construction of Rail Nordica in the future.

The planning services’ commission covers the years 2026–2030.

Further information

Jaakko Knuutila
Division Director, Planning
Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
Tel. +358 29 534 3525
firstname.surname(at)vayla.fi

Outi Leuhtonen
Project Manager
Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency
Tel. +358 29 534 3334
firstname.surname(at)vayla.fi

Rail Nordica project page: https://vayla.fi/rail-nordica