A preferred route was selected for the study in March 2018.
According to the report, the 450km line would be built in phases and would take at least 15 years to complete with a “long and multi-stage” planning process.
Freight volumes of at least 2.5 million tonnes a year would be required to cover operating and maintenance costs, but the study found that traffic would not come close to this level without significant changes to the region’s economy. Furthermore, capacity enhancements would be required further south, particularly on the busy Helsinki - Tampere line, to accommodate additional traffic from the north.
Revenue from tourists visiting Lapland would be important to the line, but is not deemed to provide a sufficient foundation for the project to proceed.
The study also found that construction of a railway would have many impacts on the region’s environment and the Sámi people.
