Return of local trains to the Toijala railway line: municipalities want hourly train service between Turku and Tampere

The return of local trains between Turku and Tampere -for the first time in nearly 30 years- would not only boost regional connectivity but also serve as a model for sustainable, collaborative rail development across Finland.

NOVEMBER, 2025.- Municipalities located along the railway line from Tampere through Turku to Naantali want to replace the insufficiently served, market-based long-distance train connection with more frequent local train services. 

The goal is to make the connection part of the Finnish government’s publicly funded train network starting in 2031. Strengthening the Turku-Tampere link, one side of Finland’s "growth triangle," will bring economic benefits nationwide.

The joint goal agreed upon by the municipalities’ administrative leaders is to replace the infrequent, market-driven service between Turku and Tampere with an hourly train connection, to be competitively tendered as part of the state’s procurement program. According to the EU’s Public Service Obligation Regulation, public service contracts can be tendered when the market fails to provide an adequate level of service and when municipalities finance the operations themselves. An hourly train will provide a higher service level for users and can continue from Turku to Naantali, thereby maximizing ticket revenue.

Hourly train services strengthen the weakest link of Finland’s growth triangle

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The road connection between Turku and Tampere — one side of Finland’s growth triangle — is slow and more dangerous compared to other main roads. The current infrequent public transport service does not allow smooth commuting. Better train connections between the Turku and Tampere.

A denser and faster train connection would make rail travel a truly attractive alternative to driving.

Growth Triangle train traffic Image: WSP

"The Tampere region is preparing for the upcoming rail reform by planning to increase local train traffic in four directions. The Turku line could become part of the local train network starting in 2031. We currently have many projects in motion, and decisions on the overall plan will be made in early 2026, as required by the government," says Mika Periviita, Director of Public Transport for the Tampere Region.

The collaboration group formed by municipalities and regional councils along the railway has been working for three years to improve the connection.

"The railway played a key role in the creation of many town centers along the Turku-Tampere corridor," says Paavo Laaksonen, Director of Development for the City of Loimaa and Chair of the Turku-Tampere working group.

"Restarting regular, frequent local train services would bring tremendous dynamism and development potential between these two major urban areas. Together with the municipalities, we’ve been searching for a viable model for years — and it now seems we’ve finally found one," Laaksonen adds.

The rail reform introduced by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government has created a concrete opportunity to improve rail services along the entire route from Turku to Tampere. If the local train connection becomes a reality, trains would stop in all participating municipalities: Tampere, Lempäälä, Akaa, Urjala, Humppila, Loimaa, Pöytyä, Aura, Turku, Raisio, and Naantali.

"Rail transport gives our municipalities new opportunities to strengthen regional vitality. Train travel is both the present and the future. As municipalities along the railway, we can offer new, attractive options for living and entrepreneurship," says Annu Kuusisto, Mayor of Urjala.

Municipalities have both a strong shared will and funding to implement the Tampere-Turku-Naantali connection

Southwest Finland is currently the only region in southern Finland without state-funded passenger train service, except for one night train. The Finnish government’s decision in June to maintain services at their current limited level was a disappointment for the region — but the municipalities quickly regrouped.

Regions wishing to be included in the state’s new rail service procurement must fund their own operations and submit their proposed service models to the Ministry of Transport and Communications by the end of 2025.

Kupittaa railway station - Turku Image: Entreprenerd Media

The net annual cost of the new service for the public sector is estimated at around €4 million. The municipalities have expressed their readiness to cover the costs, and a consensus has already been reached among municipal officials on cost sharing.

"What could be a clearer sign of the municipalities’ determination to establish local train services than this — despite the tight schedule, they have presented a concrete proposal to the government and agreed on cost distribution," says Sirpa Korte, Director of Transport Development for the City of Turku.

The local train model and cost-sharing plan will be presented to each municipality’s governing bodies for formal approval by the end of the year. The new train services are planned to begin in 2031.

Tentative cost ceiling for municipalities in the Tampere-Turku-Naantali route (agreed at the official level)

*Urjala's contribution corresponds to a situation where every train stops at Urjala.

The return of local trains between Turku and Tampere — for the first time in nearly 30 years — would not only boost regional connectivity but also serve as a model for sustainable, collaborative rail development across Finland.