Maersk rail service shortens Finland–Asia transit by eight days

Maersk is launching a block train between Haparanda, on the Swedish–Finnish border, and APM Terminals Gothenburg. The service offers businesses in Finland and Northern Sweden an alternative to the conventional feeder route across the Baltic Sea. The first train is scheduled for 5 November. Logistics giant Maersk is targeting freight from key industries in the northern Swedish and Finnish regions, such as steel, forest products, and pulp and paper. Freight travelling from Oulu (Finland) to Asia should arrive eight days earlier than on traditional routes, the company expects.

In winter, customers are no longer exposed to ice-related delays in the Northern Baltic Sea. The trains also bypass port-related vessel and crane bottlenecks. “The new rail solution will benefit the Finnish and Swedish economies, as it will not only accelerate cargo significantly but also remove uncertainties in the transport chain, especially in wintertime”, said Maersk Area Managing Director Nordics Kenni H.S. Callesen.

In Gothenburg, the trains link directly into Maersk’s Gemini East-West ocean network. Three mainliner services call at the port, including direct connections to Asia, Maersk explains. Maersk starts with two weekly round trips and plans to increase the frequency to four and later to six. It points out that the Finland and Sweden have both demonstrated recent trade increases. Growth figures have soared to +22% for the value of Finnish goods exports in August. Similarly, Swedish goods exports grew by 4% and imports by 8% between January and August 2026.

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