Border Crossings: Finland - Russia

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All rail routes between this pair of countries are 1520mm gauge.

(Kemijärvi -) Kelloselkä VR - Alakurti RŽD

This line, opened as part of Finnish war reparations to Russia, may never have carried any through traffic. It has long been out of use east of Kelloselkä, though track still remains in place from there towards the Russian border beyond which the line is partially lifted. In 2006 the last remaining traffic (timber) on the section of line between Isokylä (just east of Kemijärvi) and Kelloselkä ceased. RHK (Finnish equivalent of Network Rail) have now mothballed the entire line east of Isokylä pending a decision to be made in conjunction with Russian and Swedish authorities on a possible reopening as part of a through route to cater for the predicted vast increase in container traffic from China to America’s west coast via train through Russia, Finland and Sweden to Norway for transferring to ships.

(Kontiomäki -) Vartius VR - Kostomuksha RŽD

[D] Freight only. Most of the traffic comprises iron-ore pellets from a mine/processing plant at Kostomuksa (some 30 km inside Russia) to the steel works at Raahe and also the port of Kokkola for export. On the Russian side a new line 126 km long opened in 2001 from Ledmozero to Kotshkoma, considerably reducing the distance from Vartius to the Archangelsk area of Russia. It was hoped this would lead to a significant increase in traffic. However, owing to a lack of funds, signalling and telecommunication works on the line were never completed, severely restricting its capacity. The line from Vartius to Kontiomäki is now electrified, along with that from Oulu via Kontiomäki to Iisalmi. It is hoped to extend electrification all the way to Kotshkoma in the long term.

Niirala VR - Vyartsilya RŽD

[D] Freight only. Mainly used to import raw timber to Finland: this amounted to 2.5 million tonnes last year. RŽD ran a trial international passenger train (possibly the first ever by this route) from Petrozavodsk in the Republic of Karelia to Joensuu on 28/29 December 2012. It was thought that further trains would operate if there is sufficient demand, which RZD expected would come from travel agencies wishing to run charter services. There has been no sign of the introduction of regular timetabled passenger trains as this would require the establishment of formal border and immigration control facilities.

Parikkala VR - Elisenvarra RŽD

The tracks have been lifted across the border.

Imatrankoski VR - Svetogorsk RŽD

[D] Freight only. Mainly used to import raw timber and wood products to Finland, which amounted to 2.6 million tonnes in 2000. Under a co-operation agreement signed in Petrozavodsk on September 25, RZD, VR and local authorities in both countries are examining other potential passenger routes, including St Petersburg – Imatra.

(Kouvola -) Vainikkala VR - Luzhaika RŽD (- Sankt Peterburg)

[E*] Allegro high-speed trainsets were introduced at the December 2010 timetable change on the 2 daytime services between Helsinki and St Petersburg, cutting the journey time from six hours to three and a half. There are 4 services each way as at July 2013. All border and customs inspections take place on board these trains in both countries. RŽD dual-system electric locos (3kV dc/25kV 50Hz) work into Finland on freight trains and the overnight service to and from Moscow.

In 2009 7.7 million tonnes of freight mainly, raw wood, oil, gas and fertiliser crossed the border into Finland. Out of all this, 2.5 million tonnes of freight go directly to and from Finnish Sea ports for export and import to from other countries. 550,000 tonnes passed the other way, mainly construction materials, farm machinery and consumer goods.

See also