There have been a lot of talks about building a new railway from Kolari in northern Finland to Skibotn in Troms, Norway. This railway would give Finnish industry, and especially the mining industry, easy access to an ice free harbor in the north. However, this seems to be far-fetched plans, according to the Finnish minister of Transport.
- Utopia. The financing of an Arctic Ocean railway is based on hallucinations, Kyllönen said in a press conference recently according to NRK.
The background for the minister’s skepticism is the current financial situation Finland is in. Therefore the Government must evaluate all projects, also within the transport sector. Although there have been reports that Kyllönen have been positive to the project, she now says that this must be misunderstandings from meetings she has participated in. Her only positive remark to the railway is this.
- I do believe there will be built a railway to Norway some time, but I am not certain that it will happen in my lifetime, says Kyllönen who was born in 1977.
On the Norwegian side of the border the optimism is still high, despite Kyllönens comments. Governor of Troms, Pia Svendsgaard said that Kyllönen seemed positive to the project in a meeting they had earlier this autumn. The Svendsgaards county administration has funded a three year position, who will work for the realization of the Arctic Ocean railway plans.
