# Finland - Estonia Tunnel Strategy taking shape



## jis (Apr 25, 2018)

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/news/europe/single-view/view/finland-estonia-tunnel-strategy-to-be-published-next-month.html



> *Finland – Estonia Tunnel strategy to be published next month*
> 
> The Finnish and Estonian joint working group, which is developing proposals for the 92 km FinEst undersea railway tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn, is due to publish its recommendations on how to proceed on May 7.
> 
> ...


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## Metra Electric Rider (Apr 30, 2018)

This just sounds nuts to me. But then again, it might be a good idea. And Talinn has free transit for it's residents.


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## jis (Apr 30, 2018)

Metra Electric Rider said:


> This just sounds nuts to me. But then again, it might be a good idea. And Talinn has free transit for it's residents.


There was a time when the Great Belt Fixed Link also sounded like nuts as did the Chunnell. You never know!

This one, if it comes to pass, will of necessity be an EU Project, and the Russians will work hard to undermine it.

Yeah, Tallinn is a delightful city. I have been there several times, always for a day trip from Helsinki on the high speed ferry to the then active Tallinn Ferry Terminal, which has changed quite a bit over the years. The terminal is just a short 15 minute walk to downtown too and the little fort too.


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## railiner (Apr 30, 2018)

Im waiting for a Long Island to Connecticut or Rhode Island Tunnel....

But Id be happy just to see them build a new Gateway tunnel from NJ to NY...


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## Anderson (May 2, 2018)

I know this would, to a large extent, be a freight line...but I'm reminded of how the situation in the Baltics is a fractured mess. Seeing an article in there about a possible Finnish link to the Arctic, I have to wonder why they don't just plug the hole with the line to Sweden and run the freight that way? I know this is shorter to eastern Europe (in particular), but it also seems to be quite an ambitious (and expensive) project.


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## Metra Electric Rider (May 4, 2018)

Yeah, Tallinn is wonderful. My dad spent a lot of time there in the 80's and we visited in the early 90's - one of the more charming cities on the Baltic (granted, I haven't been to that many). I would think a rail link south to the continent would be more useful for Finland than a long route through Sweden, especially with Stockholm bottleneck (assume freight would run west and down to the south somehow, but then you'd have to go through Copenhagen) it would be a straight shot into Central Europe.


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## jis (Oct 23, 2019)

On 12 July 2019, the Finnish company FinEst Bay Area Development signed an LOI with a Chinese group of companies to construct the 92km Tallinn - Helsinki rail tunnel as part of the Chinese "Belt and Road Initiative". This starts the negotiation process for the detailed agreement and design and construction.

FinEst earlier did an MOU with Touchstone Capital Partners for a E15 Billion financing of the construction of the standard gauge tunnel which will connect the standard gauge Rail Baltica (distinct from the heritage Russian Broad Gauge network in the Baltics) to Helsinki, and of necessity will not connect seamlessly with the Finnish rail network which is Russian Broad Gauge. It is expected that the construction of the tunnel and rail link will cost E12.5 billion. The balance will be used for stations and trains.

Currently it takes 2hrs and 40mins by high speed ferries to travel from Helsinki to Tallinn (I have done it a couple of times). By rail it should take a little less than one hour.

- Paraphrased from a sidebar article in the "International News Roundup" section of the September Issue of Today's Railway - Europe.


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## Metra Electric Rider (Oct 23, 2019)

Interesting - so to speculate, will a rail link across the Gulf of Bothnia ever happen? Either via Aaland or up near Vasa-Umeaa where a bridge has been proposed perhaps half seriously. 

There is already a link via the Tornedalen at the north end of the gulf.


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