- A new direct train service between Finland and Sweden has launched, connecting the two nations by rail for the first time in decades.
- Operated twice daily by Finnish state railway VR, the journey between Oulu in Finland and Haparanda in Sweden takes one hour and 40 minutes.
- Cross-border train services had previously been suspended in the late 1980s and early 1990s due to declining passenger numbers and differing track gauges.
- Passengers travelling further into Sweden must switch trains at Haparanda station, as Finland uses a wider track gauge than most European networks.
- The new connection makes it possible to complete a 3,100-mile journey from Lapland to Portugal's Algarve, believed to be the longest rail journey in Europe.
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