EUROPE S NORTHERN DIMENSION FROM A TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE ABSTRACT

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1 EUROPE S NORTHERN DIMENSION FROM A TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE Usko Anttikoski, Baltirail Association, Finland, us.anttikoski@kolumbus.fi ABSTRACT This paper looks at the key northern rail corridors that connect the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Finland, on the northern shores of the Baltic Sea, is in traffic terms a remote outpost, with functioning fixed rail connections running only eastwards. Long subsea railway tunnels could, however, give Finland the access it needs to the rail networks of Europe. Beneath the Baltic Sea lies solid bedrock, which offers new possibilities for opening up transport connections. A key project currently being studied is a railway tunnel across the Gulf of Finland between Helsinki and Tallinn. A railway tunnel under the narrow Kvarken (Quark) stretch of the Gulf of Bothnia to Sweden would, however, be easier and safer to build as a first, trial project. This paper adds a northeastern dimension to the author s earlier article of the same title by encompassing a further traffic corridor from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean via Europe and Russia. 1. INTRODUCTION The author, now retired, spent 37 years in various geotechnical posts with the City of Helsinki and headed its Geotechnical Division from 1972 to The author has continued to maintain his interest in geotechnical projects over the past decade, not least those referred to here. This paper examines rail connections via Finland to continental Europe and the other Nordic countries, and provisional connections to Russia s northeastern corridors. The construction of a railway tunnel under the Gulf of Finland and the associated geological conditions are discussed in another Finnish paper [2] to be given at the Strait Crossings 2013 symposium. A report on the transport needs of Finland s mining industry [3] was published in early spring 2013, adding to the sources available to the author of this paper. The impact of climate change and dwindling oil reserves will force the transfer of traffic from road to rail. The receding ice in the Arctic Ocean will also open up the EU s rail connections to the north, which will mean greater use of rail corridors in the Nordic countries and in Russia. An important goal of EU transport policy is to build a network of rail corridors across the region and convert rolling stock and rail networks to ensure interoperability between different countries. Finland is still without effective rail links to other EU countries as its network has a different gauge (1524 mm), hampering connections. There is a danger that in traffic terms Finland will remain a northern outpost isolated from the other EU countries. For this reason, traffic movements across the bays of the Baltic Sea require not only car and train ferries but also subsea railway tunnels. 2. EUROPE S NORTHERN RAIL CORRIDORS A joint project by the present author and Ago Vilo, both geotechnical experts based in countries bordering the Baltic Sea, gave rise to the proposal (1999) for a Baltic Sea circular rail link of 1

2 about 4,000 km (Figure 1). The route would go via Finland and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and would constitute an international railway circuit linking capital cities around the Baltic. Figure 1. Baltic Sea circular link proposal, Usko Anttikoski and Ago Vilo. Baltic Sea circular link via rock tunnels. Challenges for the 21st Century. Proceedings of the World Tunnel Congress 99, Oslo, 31 May - 3 June 1999, vol. 2, pp [1]. (The author has since added other rail proposals.) The fixed rail link from Denmark, Sweden and Norway across the Danish straits to mainland Europe was completed in This connection will be further improved when a new tunnel across the Fehmarn Belt between Denmark and Germany is completed in the 2020s. Rail services are nevertheless already running from the Nordic countries to other EU countries via Sweden, and on through the Alps as far as the Mediterranean (Figure 2). Finland and Sweden are the EU s northernmost member states, but they have no port on the Arctic. Led by Sweden, progress has been made in developing the Nordic countries rail corridors. Sweden has applied for EU funding for a fast rail route to run as far as its border with Finland at Haparanda. 2

3 The construction of the Bothnian Corridor route is being followed closely by Finland, in the capacity of observer. No decisions on cross-border rail projects along Finland s western border have yet been made. The situation in regard to the Baltic countries is also similar, as it has only been possible to plan rail projects in more recent years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. A Rail Baltica route through the Baltic countries has nevertheless been planned and construction of this route is being supported by the EU s Transport Commissioner, Siim Kallas. Figure 2. The Bothnian Corridor ( Commissioned by the City of Helsinki, a study of the bedrock for a Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel was begun in summer 2012 with the collection of existing geological data at geological institutions in both Finland and Estonia. Preliminary results will be published at the Strait Crossings 2013 symposium. Work on the Helsinki and Tallinn twin-city development project has included completion of reports covering transport economics issues ( (Studies)) [2]: - Helsinki and Tallinn on the move. Final report of H-TTransPlan project, Ulla Tapaninen (ed.), Tallinn-Helsinki Twin-city in making: Integration scenarios for Tallinn and Helsinki capital regions, Erik Terk (ed.), Tallinn The trains using the Rail Baltica route would either be compatible with the European track gauge or would be fitted with gauge-changing equipment, allowing trains to travel to a regular timetable (Figure 3). 3

4 The EU s north-south Rail Baltica Corridor could continue via the Baltic Adriatic Corridor, thus linking the Arctic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea (Figure 4). Figure 3. Rail Baltica Growth Corridor, Helsinki-Berlin. Olli Keinänen. Road map towards Helsinki-Tallinn transport strategy. Presentation in Tallinn, April 2012 ( [2] Figure 4. Baltic Adriatic Corridor ( 4

5 3. EU S NORTHERN RAIL CORRIDORS AND POSSIBLE ARCTIC PORT LOCATIONS A report on the transport needs of the mining industry in northern Finland was completed in November 2013 [3]. The report presents rail routes to the Arctic Ocean and to Russia (Figure 5). The routes could also be used for passenger traffic. Figure 5. Finland s northern rail corridors ( [3] The Finnish Transport Agency held a seminar on the needs of the mining industry and Arctic technology issues in Rovaniemi on September The event was attended by participants from the Nordic countries and from Russia. Mikko Niini of Aker Arctic Technology gave a presentation on the Northeast Passage and the related Arctic shipbuilding requirements (entitled The future of the Northeast Passage What will it enable? Viewpoints on the discussion of Finland s link to the Arctic Ocean ). There were also presentations from a number of other northern region experts, from Norway, Sweden, Russia and Finland. The event gave a considerable early boost to the cooperation between these countries. Mikko Niini: The future of the Northeast Passage What will it enable? 5

6 Figure 6. Connecting the Arctic Ocean s Northeast Passage to Finland s rail network [3] 4. RUSSIA S NORTHERN RAIL CORRIDORS Russia has carried out a number of studies of rail corridors between the Trans-Siberian railway and Finland, the Baltic countries and central Europe. The most important study from the Finnish perspective is the new Belkomur project ( focusing on a new railway line in the Perm-Syktyvkar-Arkhangelsk corridor. Alternatively, the corridor could run from the Trans-Siberian railway via Kazakhstan to China and the Pacific Ocean (Figure 8). China has the international 1435 mm gauge, which means there would need to be gauge-switching where it joins the Russian 1520 mm gauge, and then again to 1435 mm for EU member states (Figure 8). 6

7 Figure 7. The Belkomur project, part of Russia s northeast-west transport corridor Figure 8. Eurasia s northern rail traffic corridors and the Belkomur rail construction project (Arkhangelsk-Syktyvkar-Perm) 5. FINLAND S RAIL CORRIDOR (BOTHNIAN CORRIDOR) AS AN INTERNATIONAL RAIL ROUTE The Finnish rail network was constructed at a time when Finland was a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, and the network has retained its connection to the Russian system over its 150- year history. This is why the Finnish track gauge is still 1524 mm. The gauge in Russia and the Baltic countries is 1520 mm. Despite this small difference, Russian and Finnish trains use the same tracks, but it is uncertain whether ultrafast trains (300 km/h) of the future could also do this. The Baltic countries have decided to build a new rail link from Tallinn to Warsaw at the EU gauge of 1435 mm. This will have implications for rail traffic between Finland and Estonia. 7

8 If Finland were to build a railway route along the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia to the European 1435 mm gauge, this would offer considerable potential for developing Finnish rail traffic to other EU countries. Such a route would allow European trains to move easily through Finland from the Baltic countries to Sweden and as far as the Arctic: - The Rail Baltica route would continue as an EU route from the new Tallinn international transport centre to the Vimsi peninsula and across the Gulf of Finland by train ferry or tunnel to Porkkala in Kirkkonummi or, alternatively, to Pasila in Helsinki. - The EU railway route would continue from Kirkkonummi to Vaasa via Salo, Turku and Pori. - From Vaasa the rail link would continue across the Kvarken by train ferry or tunnel to Umeå. - From Umeå the rail connections already exist to Norwegian ports and thus to the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. - The Swedish rail network would include a new connection via Haparanda to Tornio in Finland, and a new EU route would then run to the Norwegian Arctic port of Kirkenes, and possibly to the Russian Arctic port of Pechenga. - Alternatively, the route could follow the existing Finnish network on its way to Kirkenes and Russia s northern rail network. - The European network already connects Umeå to Sundsvall in Sweden and then to the Norwegian port of Trondheim. This allows the eastbound rail corridor from the Atlantic to traverse Finland en route to Russian Karelia and the port of Arkhangelsk and onwards to the Trans-Siberian route. Finland s rail network could be modified to the European gauge in phases, such that European trains could run in the west of Finland while eastern parts of the country s network would accommodate the existing Finnish and Russian rolling stock. 6. RAILWAY TUNNELS UNDER THE BALTIC SEA Proposals for fixed rail links from Finland across the Baltic Sea to Sweden and Estonia have been made for the past twenty years. The main railway tunnel connections proposed are across the Kvarken, across the Gulf of Finland, and on both sides of the Åland Islands (in the Archipelago Sea and the Åland Sea) [1]. All four of these are over 60 km in length and are subsea tunnels, constructed through the hard Precambrian bedrock. The lowest cost location is the Kvarken. The most demanding location is the Gulf of Finland, especially due to the soft rock on the Estonian landfall side. Long subsea railway tunnels would require extensive geological studies of the bedrock and tunnel engineering development work. This work should be done jointly by the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Estonia), as these countries have similar bedrock and possess tunnel construction technology. In Estonia and Denmark though, the hard Precambrian bedrock lies at a greater depth (more than 100 m deeper). 8

9 The biggest risks would be associated with construction of the first such long subsea railway tunnel, because of the lack of this kind of construction and operating experience in the Nordic countries. The Kvarken tunnel would cost the least and be safest to build, and so it should be the first tunnel to be constructed, as a prototype. The experience gained could be used to good effect in the other railway tunnel projects. This would be a project of considerable international significance. Fixed transport connections across the Baltic Sea Connection tunnel surface altitude constr. cost km km maximum +/- EUR million ÅLAND ISLANDS Åland Sea Tunnel Embankment (large sea bridge) over Railway and car ferry (ferry 45 km) Archipelago Sea (and Åland Islands) Tunnel Embankment (large sea bridge) Tunnel under Åland as well GULF OF FINLAND Porkkala Pasila KVARKEN Tunnel and embankment tunnels and embankment 60+20= Figure 9. Map and table. Fixed rail connections across the Baltic to Sweden and Estonia (Usko Anttikoski. Memorandum 14 September 2007, News / Gulf of Finland tunnel (Helsinki-Tallinn)) [1] 7. TRAIN FERRIES Traffic and transport issues for Finland and Estonia are discussed in Prime Minister s Office Publications report 7/2008 entitled Opportunities for Cooperation between Estonia and Finland 9

10 2008 (Jaakko Blomberg and Gunnar Okk). Pages of the report include a discussion of the Rail Baltica plans and a rail tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn. Regarding costs, the report states that the estimated cost of construction, in the region of EUR 3 billion, is so high that on the basis of current information it could not be financed by the private sector alone. The report s recommendations also include evaluation of the potential for a Helsinki-Tallinn train ferry service [1]. Finland no longer has a train ferry service to other EU countries, the last such service (from Turku to Sweden) being discontinued in autumn Furthermore, the former rail freight connections to Helsinki s port facilities have also been dismantled. A few years ago, however, a new rail tunnel for freight traffic from Kerava to Vuosaari Harbour was completed, though the tunnel was not designed with passenger traffic in mind. Emission requirements for shipping (the Sulphur Directive 2015) are being tightened in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, which is why Viking Line in autumn 2011 commissioned Finland s Turku shipyard to build a new car ferry powered by natural gas. No new train ferries have been ordered, however. The advanced standards of Finnish shipbuilding technology are well known, and so the resources for designing and building a new train ferry should be available in Finland too. Any new train ferry would have to be designed to travel across the bays of the Baltic Sea, which vary in width from 50 to 70 km. The train ferry concept would be something like the world s oldest vessel, Noah s Ark (Gen 6:15-16). The Ark was 150 m long, 25 m wide and 15 m high (for comparison, the M/S Star car ferry between Helsinki-Tallinn is 186 m long and 27.7 m wide, with a draught of 6.5 m and speed of 51 km/h). The train ferry would have two or three decks. The intermediate deck could accommodate four tracks, making up a total track length of about 500 m. The lowest deck would house the technical facilities and water tanks for ballast control. The top deck would have the control centre, facilities for staff and passengers, and rescue equipment. The train deck could also be adjusted by hydraulic lifting gear if necessary. Train ferries would have to incorporate a rapid docking capability. A new, rigid docking unit would be needed to facilitate smooth dockside track connections off the ferry and onto the rail network. This would also allow ferry-bound trains to be assembled in advance and driven straight from the fixed track onto the train ferry. If the ferry s top speed at sea were to be 45 km/h, a sea crossing of 70 km would take about hours. The entire travel time between the fixed rail networks on land at either end would then be hours. Train ferry docks could be built at existing Baltic Sea ports already equipped with a rail connection, or if necessary a new rail link could be built. Suitable ferry port locations in the Gulf of Finland on the Estonian side are the Vimsi peninsula (eastern side), Muuga Harbour, Tallinn s Old City Harbour, Paljassaare and Paldiski. On the Finnish side, suitable locations are the former dock at Vuosaari Harbour, the east side of Porkkala in Kirkkonummi, and the ports of Kantvik and Hanko. 10

11 In addition to connections across the Gulf of Finland, train ferry links could be introduced across the Kvarken and from the Åland Islands to both Finland and Sweden. Rail links to the train ferry departure points on the mainland would be located close to the point where future rail tunnels would start. Train ferries could then help during tunnel construction work and would later function as backup connections for the tunnels. Before any railway tunnel project is started, a train ferry link should first be set up, thereby establishing a site for the railway. In an emergency, both projects would serve as backup for each other. 8. RAIL CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT: FURTHER COMMENTS Traffic corridors traverse many different countries, which means planning must involve agreement on common standards. Such interoperability has already been achieved in international telecommunications, aviation and shipping, through agreement between the countries concerned. Harmonisation of this sort should also be sought for cross-border rail traffic. It should be possible to use EU rolling stock in all parts of the EU, as well as in other countries that have rail traffic connections to the EU. Finland s track gauge should be brought in line with the international 1435 mm gauge. Alternatively, an adjustable wheel gauge system could be developed on the rolling stock, allowing quick adjustment to the international or the Finnish gauge. For fast trains at least, the international gauge should be adopted. English should be made the operating language on the railways, as is generally the case in other international activities. Flights from Europe to Asia have already been re-routed over the North Pole. Shipping will also move further north when climate change results in a shrinkage of the ice cap. The northern regions of the Nordic countries and Russia are becoming a new focus of interest for transport and traffic. LITERATURE [1] The Finnish Geotechnical Society website has a list of railway tunnel construction literature ( / News / Gulf of Finland tunnel (Helsinki-Tallinn)). [2] Ikävalko, O., Vähäaho, I. Suuroja, S Soil and bedrock conditions to be expected in Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel construction. Strait Crossings 2013 symposium, Bergen, [3] The Transport Needs of the Mining Industry. Working Group summary. Projects of the Finnish Transport Agency, 2/2013. Transport Needs of the Mining Industry in the North Pre- Study. Studies and reports of the Finnish Transport Agency 11/2013, Finnish Transport Agency. Helsinki