A new rail freight link between Haparanda and the Port of Gothenburg opened on November 5, 2026, will give Finnish as well as northern Swedish businesses new opportunities to consolidate cargo in Haparanda for further shipping to international markets. The solution is expected to reduce transit time by eight days compared to traditional transport solutions for cargo travelling from Oulu to Asia.
The strategic location of Haparanda on the Swedish-Finnish border offers excellent circumstances for consolidation of cargo from both nations. There are ambitions to establish Haparanda as a cross-border logistics center, with a direct rail link to the Port of Gothenburg as well as access to global markets.
The new rail freight link, via APM Terminals Gothenburg, connects to global shipping services, such as direct services to Asia.
According to the Head of Commercial at APM Terminals Gothenburg, Mathias Weismann Poulsen, “We see significant potential for Haparanda to develop into a cross-border inland hub between Finland and Sweden. This initiative is a strong example of how we want to connect the Nordic region with Gothenburg by rail and develop new logistics solutions where there is demand. In doing so, we create more opportunities for Nordic industry to reach global markets efficiently and competitively through our extensive shipping network.”
New industrial possibilities in the north
The new rail connection will increase the quantity of cargo carried by rail and thus make more efficient use of the current railway infrastructure of Sweden. It offers greater capacity and a dependable all-year logistics option for industries within northern Sweden as well as Finland, especially throughout the winter season when ice conditions in the Gulf of Bothnia may interfere with shipping.
Opines Municipal Director of the City of Haparanda, Roger Danell, said, “We want to demonstrate how existing infrastructure can be used to create an entirely new, sustainable export corridor. This is a first step towards establishing a strategic green export corridor between the Gulf of Bothnia and Sweden’s west coast.”
