In Another Blow to Russia, Finland Planning to Change Its Railways to International Gauge

Paul Goble

    Staunton, May 13 – Lulu Ranne, Finland’s transportation minister says Helsinki will work with its NATO to transform its railways from the Russian gauge (1520 mm) to the narrower international gauge (1435 mm) and thereby strengthen its national security by linking it more closely with Europe.

    His announcement will boost support for RailBaltica, a plan to have an international age railway through the three Baltic countries, especially as Finland has already come out in support of a rail tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn (ng.ru/news/816152.html). It will also likely give more impetus to China’s pressure on Russia to change the gauge of the latter in the Russian Far East (windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2016/04/bowing-to-china-moscow-for-first-time.html).

    None of these plans will be realized immediately. It will take some time to find the money and then complete construction. But once it happens, these moves will further isolate Moscow and force it to choose between continuing with its current arrangement and bearing the costs that will entail or integrating with the rest of the world.