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Finns baulk at standard gauge plan
Finland’s Minister for Transport and Communications, Timo Harakka, argues that the EU proposal for Finland to adopt standard European rail gauge is unreasonable
In July, the EC announced that new TEN-T lines should be built to the European standard gauge of 1,435mm. The EC had amended its TEN-T Regulation in light of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The EC said connections with Russia and Belarus were now no longer in the EU’s best interests, so the TEN-T core network would now include North-South cross-border links with Ukraine and Moldova, while those with Russia and Belarus would be downgraded.
The European Commissioner of Transport, Adina Vălean, included measures to convert 1,520mm-gauge lines to 1435mm gauge “when this is economically justified.” She said this would also apply to non-standard track gauges within the EU itself, as the difficulties at the Ukraine border had highlighted how a lack of interoperability could increase the vulnerability of the railway network inside EU territory.
However, Finland objects to the proposal to downgrade east-west links with Belarus and Russia. “These transport connections will still remain on the TEN-T network and it is possible to receive EU funding for them,” says Harakka. “However, the change should not weaken eastern Finland’s position, so we do not accept this change proposal either.”
This is a long-standing argument that predates Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine and the Finnish government’s subsequent decision to apply to join NATO, a dramatic move changing 78 years of co-existence with the USSR post-1945 and Russia post 1989-90.
Harakka belives that it is too expensive for new north-south rail links to adopt standard gauge, not just for Finland, but also for the Eastern Baltic Republics of Estonia, Latvia and Estonia, whic share the Russian 1,520mm board gauge from the days of Imperial Russia.
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