Finland, Sweden and Norway Launch Joint Planning for Nordic Cross-Border Electrified Rail Freight Corridor

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 11, Finnish ferry operator Wasaline, Norwegian rail freight company OnRail, Sweden's Kvarken Ports Umeå Port and Norway's Trondheim Port announced the launch of joint planning for a cross-border freight corridor, which aims to connect the Finnish Vaasa–Swedish Umeå ferry route, the electrified railway from Umeå to Trondheim, and the maritime network at Trondheim Port, forming an east-west multimodal route running through Finland, Sweden and Norway. The new rail freight service is planned to use electric locomotives to transport containers, semi-trailers and industrial goods.

The proposed rail service will run the full length connecting Umeå Port in Sweden with Trondheim Port in Norway, passing through Storlien in Sweden and Meråker in Norway, and operating on the existing rail network. The Norwegian Meråker line has already been electrified, and once connected with the already electrified Swedish rail network, the Umeå–Trondheim route will have the basic conditions for using electric locomotives to haul freight trains along the entire route. Previously, some sections of this cross-border railway required diesel traction; this improvement in infrastructure conditions has removed a key constraint on cross-border operation of electrified freight trains.

The entire transport chain consists of three segments. At the eastern end, the Vaasa–Umeå ferry operated by Wasaline connects Finland and Sweden; in the middle, OnRail is responsible for planning the electrified rail freight service from Umeå to Trondheim; and at the western end, Trondheim Port connects to the maritime network toward the Atlantic. After goods arrive in Umeå, they can be transferred to rail transport, and after reaching Trondheim, they can be shipped by sea to markets such as the United Kingdom and Iceland.

The Vaasa–Umeå ferry route is already in operation, with Wasaline providing year-round transport services using the hybrid passenger and freight ro-ro vessel Aurora Botnia. The vessel is powered by biogas and batteries, has two cargo decks with a total cargo deck length of approximately 1,500 lane meters, and can carry trucks and other cargo. This planning will utilize the existing ferry transport infrastructure and does not require the construction of a new maritime route from Finland to Sweden.

The rail transport will cover containers, semi-trailers and industrial goods. Specific loading methods, vehicle marshalling, train lengths and freight terminal operating plans have not yet been announced. OnRail will communicate with industrial enterprises, shippers and freight forwarders regarding customer needs, and determine train frequency and transport capacity based on actual cargo volumes. The rail loading and unloading connections at Umeå Port and Trondheim Port, as well as the matching of ferry and train schedules, also need to be implemented in subsequent operating plans.

OnRail also plans to launch a freight train service between Trondheim and Oslo on February 1, 2027. This route and the Umeå–Trondheim freight railway in the current planning are separate operating arrangements. If the two services are connected in the future, they could add rail transport options for goods from Finland and Sweden to reach the Norwegian capital and southern markets.