Finland modernizes railway to adopt EU standard gauge (1,435 mm), complying with new TEN-T rules requiring members to plan the shift. This would enable NATO trains to reach Finland without technical barriers, boosting troop and equipment transport in crises. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency plans to extend standard gauge tracks from Kemi to Oulu and Misi (near Rovaniemi’s military facilities). The extension to Oulu alone may cost over €1.5 billion. Minister Lulu Ranne described it as an EU- and NATO-backed long-term plan for northern Finland and said more details will emerge in coming years. Regional leaders support the project: Lapland governor Hannu Takkula stressed urgency, noting the Narvik rail link is vital for supply security; Colonel Ari Mure, deputy commander of the Lapland Jaeger Brigade, said current infrastructure prevents cross-border movement without special operations, making a compatible network essential for military logistics. The government allocated €20 million for a study on converting the Kemi-Tornio-Haparanda rail section, where Finland’s wider tracks meet Sweden’s narrower ones, halting direct traffic. The Rail Nordica project aims for a seamless route to Narvik, a key port for crisis logistics.
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