Story thread · 7 reports / 6 sources

Direct trains between two European countries resume after being scrapped in the 90s

metro.co.uk · 5hShare

Nordic road trip, anyone? (Picture: Takimoto Marina/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) As demand for ‘ coolcations’ grows higher , more travellers are swapping southern Europe for Scandi retreats and Baltic city breaks . It seems the travel industry has been watching too, as a decades-old train service between two Nordic countries has finally sprung back into action. Resurrected by VR, Finland ’s state-owned railway, passengers can now travel between Oulu, in Finland — which also happens to be the 2026 European Capital of Culture — and Haaparanta in Sweden . The first train rolled out of the station yesterday, and it’s the first time the route has operated for almost 40 years. So, what’s the route and how much will it cost? From 5am on August 10, passengers were able to jump on the service, which travels along the scenic coast of the Gulf of Bothnia. All in, the journey takes around one hour and 40 minutes. Ticket prices vary depending on the time of year. At a glance, the cheap

First report: New rail link reconnects Finland and Sweden — yle.fi, 1d