Post by @jon@gruene.social

Finland supposedly wants to build standard gauge tracks from Haparanda 🇸🇪 as far as Misi (half way between Rovaniemi and Kemijärvi) for military purposes https://yle.fi/a/74-20244260

I *still* don't get the point

*Surely* development of dual gauge freight wagons would be an easier way to do this? 🤔

#LongestTrainEU #CrossBorderRail

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Charlie Stross

@cstross@wandering.shop 2 hr. ago

@jon Military integration with NATO resupply lines, maybe? To allow non-Finnish rolling stock to reach frontline depots during a wartime emergency?

Parade du Grotesque 💀

@ParadeGrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org 1 hr. ago

@cstross @jon

Yes. Also, if I remember correctly, dual gauge takes a little while to go from one to the other.

If you are trying to get supplies urgently from point a to point b, you may want to avoid the delay.

Jon Worth

@jon@gruene.social 1 hr. ago

@cstross Errr that's what the linked story *says* 🙂

My question is not WHY, but HOW.

I do not get why an immensely expensive gauge change that will take 5 years to complete makes sense, when gauge changing wagons would be cheaper and much faster to do.

Charlie Stross

@cstross@wandering.shop 1 hr. ago

@jon Ah, my mastodon client doesn't support translation from Finnish so I couldn't read the article. … Don't they already have gauge changing wagons on other routes, though?

Jon Worth

@jon@gruene.social 1 hr. ago

@cstross Poland has some. Finland does not. But designs you could implement do exist.

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