Large amounts of undeveloped iron ore resources in northern Finland and the lack of ice free harbours have made an international mining company look towards the north. The railway grid in Finland ends in the Lapland city of Kolari. The building of a new line from Kolari to the Norwegian coastal village of Skibotn will cost almost 3.2 billion EUR.
The Governor of the Norwegian Troms County Svein Ludvigsen has been in contact with the Finnish mining company, and believes that the plans are credible and might also be implemented.
− The project is realistic since the company definitely is interested in a new railway line to Norway. However, the plans will have to be discussed at a national level first, says Ludviksen.
The local mayor believes that a railway line to Skibotn, with the additional infrastructure and service needs, will create work for up to 300 persons.
At the same time there are talks of building a railway line between Narvik and Tromsø as well, a plan which was first born in 1923. Environmental needs and increased truck traffic are the main reasons for opening the debate again. Estimates show that a railway line between Narvik and Tromsø will cost around 2.5 billion EUR.
