Imatra was primed for international rail traffic

Imatra sticks to its goal of making the Imatra-Svetogorsk railway international. The priming work was done on Friday at the railway seminar organized at Valtionhotelli, where the organizers were the city of Imatra and the South Karelia Association.

Industry representatives and authorities from Russia and Finland participated in the seminar. At the seminar, industry representatives emphasized the benefits of the internationalization of the railway for the business life of the province.

- For example, last week's traffic jams in Vainikkala alone caused deliveries to Stora Enso to be delayed, Timo Hatva, Director of Country Services from Stora Enso, says.

Hatva emphasized that the congestion at the Vainikkala border station and the predicted increase in passenger traffic are issues that now should be taken seriously.

The new international rail connection would enable train deliveries all the way to the Far East. It would also offer new delivery routes to Baltic ports.

The status of the Imatra and Svetogorsk railway border crossing has been temporarily waiting for a final seal for 20 years. An agreement in principle on internationalization between Finland and Russia was made in 1997.

Border Commissioner Ismo Kurki, commander of the Southeastern Finland Border Guard, sees no reason why Imatra-Svetogorsk cannot serve as a crossing point for international rail border traffic like Vartius-Lyttä and Niirala-Värtsilä.

- I have the right to sign an agreement on the internationalization of the Imatra-Svetogorsk railway border crossing tomorrow, says Kurki.

Photo: In the photo, Stora Enso's head of land services Timo Hatva (left), Imatra's former city manager Pertti Lintunen, Igor Leshchishin representing the passenger transport of Russian railways, Dmitrij Vanjtjkov from Rosgranstro, Imatra's administrative director Kaisa Heino and city manager Rami Hasu are pictured during the seminar break.

For more information:

Imatra's contact director Tea Laitimo from 16 to 18 p.m. phone 0400 156 677.