Editing Transport in Finland

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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{expand Finnish|date=June 2023|topic=transp}}
[[File:Helsinki central station, 20221210, picture 1.jpg|thumb|[[Helsinki Central Station]]]]
The '''transport system of [[Finland]]''' is well-developed. Factors affecting traffic include the sparse population and long distance between towns and cities, and the cold climate with waterways freezing and land covered in snow for winter.

The extensive road system is utilized by most internal cargo and passenger traffic. {{As of|2010}}, the country's network of main roads has a total length of around {{convert|78162|km|mi}} and all public roads {{convert|104161|km|mi}}. The motorway network totals {{convert|779|km|mi}} with additional {{convert|124|km|mi}} reserved only for motor traffic.<ref name="Road_statistics_2010">{{Cite book|title=Finnish Road Statistics 2010 |url=http://portal.liikennevirasto.fi/portal/page/portal/A8928F859FBE364EE040B40A1B0137C5 |format=PDF |access-date=7 August 2011 |series=Statistics from the Finnish Transport Agency 6/2011 (ISSN-L 1798-811X) |year=2011 |publisher=Finnish Transport Agency (FTA) |location=Helsinki |isbn=978-952-255-699-8 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009095820/http://portal.liikennevirasto.fi/portal/page/portal/A8928F859FBE364EE040B40A1B0137C5 |archive-date=9 October 2015 }}</ref>{{rp|23, 42}} Road network expenditure of around €1&nbsp;billion is paid with vehicle and [[fuel tax]]es that amount to around €1.5&nbsp;billion  and €1&nbsp;billion, respectively.

The main international passenger gateway is [[Helsinki-Vantaa Airport]] with over 20 million passengers in 2018. About 25 airports have scheduled passenger services. They are financed by competitive fees and rural airport may be subsidized. The Helsinki-Vantaa based [[Finnair]] (known for an Asia-focused strategy), [[Nordic Regional Airlines]] provide air services both domestically and internationally. Helsinki has an optimal location for [[great circle]] routes between Western Europe and the Far East. Hence, many international travelers visit Helsinki on a stop-over between Asia and Europe.

Despite low population density, taxpayers spend annually around €350 million in maintaining {{convert|5865|km|mi}} railway tracks even to many rural towns. Operations are privatized and currently the only operator is the state-owned [[VR (company)|VR]]. It has 5 percent passenger market share (out of which 80 percent are urban trips in Greater Helsinki) and 25 percent cargo market share.<ref name="ljvr">[http://www.lvm.fi/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=lvm/cm/pub/showdoc.p?docid=2033&menuid=119 Transport and communications ministry – Rail] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071018003756/http://lvm.fi/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService%3Dlvm/cm/pub/showdoc.p?docid=2033&menuid=119 |date=18 October 2007 }}</ref> Helsinki has an urban rail network.

Icebreakers keep the 23 ports open all year round.  There is passenger traffic from Helsinki and Turku, which have ferry connections to [[Tallinn]], [[Mariehamn]], [[Sweden]] and several other destinations.

== Roads ==
{{main|Roads in Finland}}

Road transport in Finland is the most popular method of transportation, particularly in rural areas where the railway network does not extend to. {{As of|2011}} there are {{convert|78162|km|mi}} of public roads, of which {{convert|51016|km|mi}} are paved.<ref name="Road_statistics_2010" />{{rp|42}} The main road network comprises over {{convert|13329|km|mi}} of road.<ref name="Road_statistics_2010" />{{rp|23}}

===Highways===
{{main|Highways in Finland}}
[[File:Lakalaivan eritasoliittymä 1.jpg|thumb|Lakalaiva interchange on the highways [[Finnish national road 3|3 (E12)]] and [[Finnish national road 9|9 (E63)]] in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]].]]
64% of all traffic on public roads takes place on main roads,<ref name="Road_statistics_2010" />{{rp|11}} which are divided into [[Highways in Finland|class I]] (''{{lang|fi|valtatie}}/{{lang|sv|riksväg}}'') and class II (''{{lang|fi|kantatie}}/{{lang|sv|stamväg}}'') main roads. Motorways have been constructed in the country since the 1960s, but they are still reasonably rare because traffic volumes are not large enough to motivate their construction. There are {{convert|863|km|mi}} of motorways.<ref name="Road_statistics_2010" />{{rp|23}} Longest stretches are [[Helsinki]]–[[Turku]] ([[Finnish national road 1|Main road 1]]/[[European route E18|E18]]), [[Vantaa]]–[[Ylöjärvi]] ([[Finnish national road 3|Main road 3]]/[[European route E12|E12]]), [[Helsinki]]–[[Heinola]] ([[Finnish national road 4|Main road 4]]/[[European route E75|E75]]), and [[Helsinki]]–[[Vaalimaa]] ([[Finnish national road 7|Main road 7]]/[[European route E18|E18]]). [[The world's most northern|The world's northernmost motorway]] is also located in Finland between [[Keminmaa]] and [[Tornio]] ([[Finnish national road 29|Main road 29]]/[[European route E8|E8]]).

There are no [[toll road]]s in Finland.<ref>[http://www.rhinocarhire.com/Drive-Smart-Blog/Drive-Smart-Finland.aspx Guide to Driving In Finland – Drive Safe in Finland] Rhino Car Hire</ref>

===Speed limits===
[[Image:Lassila KehaI+TietoEnator1m.jpg|right|thumb|Office buildings line [[Kehä I]] in Pohjois-Haaga, [[Helsinki]].]]
Speed limits change depending on the time of the year; the maximum speed limit on motorways is {{convert|120|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} in the summer and {{convert|100|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} in the winter. The main roads usually have speed limits of either 100&nbsp;km/h or {{convert|80|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}}. Speed limits in urban areas range between {{convert|30|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} and {{convert|60|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}}. If no other speed limit is signposted, the general speed limit in Finland is  {{convert|50|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} in built-up areas and  {{convert|80|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} outside.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitfinland.com/article/driving-in-finland/ |title=Driving in Finland |website=Visit Finland |access-date= 15 January 2017}}</ref>

===Vehicles===
{{As of|2013}}, there are 4,95&nbsp;million registered [[automobile]]s, of which 2,58&nbsp;million cars. Average age of cars (museum cars excluded) is 12,5 years (in some regions even 15 years), and typically the cars are destroyed in age of 24 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trafi.fi/tietoa_trafista/ajankohtaista/2485/liikenteessa_olevien_ajoneuvojen_maara_kasvaa_tasaisesti_-_5_miljoonan_raja_lahella |title=Liikenteessä olevien ajoneuvojen määrä kasvaa tasaisesti – 5 miljoonan raja lähellä |date=2014 |publisher=Trafi |access-date=15 January 2017 |language=fi}}
</ref> In 2015, ca. 123&nbsp;000 new vehicles were registered in Finland. About 550,000–600,000 used automobiles are sold each year in Finland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.autoalantiedotuskeskus.fi/en/automotive_industry_in_finland/automobile_trade |title=New Car Sales |publisher=Automotive Industry Finland |access-date=15 January 2017 |archive-date=29 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129162304/http://autoalantiedotuskeskus.fi/en/automotive_industry_in_finland/automobile_trade |url-status=dead }}</ref> During 2011–2014 the most sold car brand was Volkswagen. It had a market share of 12% of new cars.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.is.fi/autot/art-2000000858311.html |title=Tämä auto oli Suomen myydyin vuonna 2014 – tarjolla kaikki käyttövoimaversiot |website=Iltasanomat |access-date=15 January 2017 |language=fi}}
</ref>

=== Public transport ===
{{See also|List of bus transit systems in Finland}}
[[Image:Volvo 7900 Electric Articulated HSL bus 570 to airport on Valkoisenlähteentie, Jokiniemi, Vantaa, Finland, 2022 December.jpg|thumb|Volvo 7900 [[Electric bus|Electric Articulated bus]] 570 to airport operated by HSL in Vantaa, Finland in 2022 December.]]
[[File:66 Finnair - Flickr - antoniovera1.jpg|left|thumb|A Finnair bus rushes passengers to Helsinki-Vantaa Airport]]
[[Coach (vehicle)|Coaches]] are mainly operated by private companies and provide services widely across the country. There is a large network of [[ExpressBus]] services with connections to all major cities and the most important rural areas as well as a burgeoning [[OnniBus]] 'cheap bus' network. Coach stations are operated by [[Matkahuolto]].<ref>[http://www.expat-finland.com/travel_finland/bus_train.html Long Distance Bus & Train Services in Finland] Expat Finland</ref>

Local bus services inside cities and towns have often been tightly regulated by the councils. Many councils also have their own bus operators, such as [[Tampere City Transit]] (TKL), which operates some bus lines on a commercial basis in competition with privately owned providers. Regional bus lines have been regulated by the provincial administration to protect old transit companies, leading to [[cartel]] situations like [[TLO]] in the [[Turku]] region, but strong regional regulating bodies, like the [[Helsinki Regional Transport Authority]] (HSL/HRT), whose routes are put out to tender exist as well and will become the norm after the transitional period during the 2010s.

=== Accidents ===
In 2015, number of road traffic accidents involving personal injury was 5,164. In them, 266 persons were killed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tieliikenneonnettomuudet.stat.fi/tieliikenneonnettomuudet_en.html |title=Road Traffic Accidents |website=Statistics Finland |access-date=15 January 2017 |archive-date=12 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912095122/http://tieliikenneonnettomuudet.stat.fi/tieliikenneonnettomuudet_en.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The number of road deaths per million inhabitants is just below the European average. Traffic safety has improved significantly since the early 1970s, when more than one thousand people died in road traffic every year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trafi.fi/filebank/a/1385544081/aacede60b181fe7444e0cd3d57ddfc51/13667-Trafi_Tieliikenteen_turvallisuuskatsaus_2013_eng.pdf |title= Finnish Annual Road Safety Review 2013  |publisher= Trafi |access-date= 15 January 2017}}</ref>

=== Parking ===
[[File:Entrance to Tikkuparkki underground parking in Tikkurila, Vantaa, Finland, 2021 April.jpg|thumb|Underground parking of noticeable size near Tikkurila railway station]]
Municipal law 30-31 § gives right to [[Referendum]] since year 1990. Citizens of [[Turku]] collected 15,000 names in one month for referendum against the underground car park. Politicians with in the elections unknown financing from the parking company neglected the citizens opinion.<ref>Kansan valta Suora demokratia politiikan pelastuksena Toim Saara Ilvessalo ja Hensrik Jaakkola into 2011 Saara Ilvessalo Byrokratiavyyhdistä suoraan demokratiaan pages 36–38</ref> According to International Association of Public Transport [[UITP]] parking places are among the most effective ways to promote private car use in the city. Therefore, many European cities have cancelled the expensive underground car parking after the 1990s. The EU recommended actions cover develop guidance for concrete measures for the internalisation of external costs for car traffic also in urban areas.<ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/environment/urban/pdf/framework_en.pdf WHAT EUROPEAN FRAMEWORK FOR A SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORT?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117055508/http://ec.europa.eu/environment//urban/pdf/framework_en.pdf|date=17 November 2012}} MAY 2007 [http://www.energy-cities.eu/-POSITIONS,10-]   {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328231459/http://www.energy-cities.eu/-POSITIONS%2C10-|date=28 March 2014}}</ref> In Finland the shops routinely offer free parking for private cars.

== Cycling ==
[[File:Kevyen liikenteen väylä Baana - G8541 - hkm.HKMS000005-km0000n5jx.jpg|thumb|Light traffic thoroughfare [[Baana]]]]

In Finland, 13% of the population reports cycling as their primary form of transportation. In 2016, the first [[bicycle-sharing system]], [[Helsinki City Bikes]], opened in Finland.

== Rail transport ==
=== Railways ===
[[File:Train on a bridge at Töölönlahti in Helsinki, Finland, 2023 May.jpg|thumb|A double-decker InterCity 2 train on a bridge near central station in [[Helsinki]].]]
[[File:Vr sr3 3304 3307 3306.jpg|thumb|A new Swiss made [[VR Class Sr3]] locomotives.]]
{{main|Rail transport in Finland}}
The Finnish railway network consists of a total of {{convert|5919|km|mi}}<ref name="stats2011">{{cite book | url = http://www2.liikennevirasto.fi/julkaisut/pdf3/lti_2011-05_suomen_rautatietilasto_web.pdf | title = Suomen rautatietilasto 2011 | publisher = Finnish Transport Agency | year = 2011 | language = fi, sv | issn = 1798-8128 | isbn = 978-952-255-684-4 | format = pdf | access-date = 21 July 2011 | archive-date = 3 March 2016 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303232246/http://www2.liikennevirasto.fi/julkaisut/pdf3/lti_2011-05_suomen_rautatietilasto_web.pdf | url-status = dead }}</ref> of railways built with {{RailGauge|1524mm|allk=on}}.<ref name="networkstatement">{{cite book | url = http://portal.liikennevirasto.fi/portal/page/portal/A29BF44CDA99A9D0E040B40A1B0169C7 | title = Network Statement 2012 | publisher = Finnish Transport Agency | year = 2010 | issn = 1798-8284 | isbn = 978-952-255-603-5 | format = pdf }}{{dead link|date=January 2017}}</ref> {{convert|3072|km|abbr=on}} of track is electrified.<ref name="stats2011"/> In 2010, passengers made 13.4&nbsp;million long-distance voyages and 55.5&nbsp;million trips in local traffic.<ref name="stats2011"/> On the same year, over {{convert|35000000|t}} of freight were transported.<ref name="stats2011"/>

Finland's first railway was opened between [[Helsinki]] and [[Hämeenlinna]] in 1862,<ref>Neil Kent: ''Helsinki: A Cultural History'', p. 18. Interlink Books, 2014. {{ISBN|978-1566565448}}.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-5061482|title=Tulihevonen saapui ensi kerran Hämeenlinnaan 150 vuotta sitten|trans-title=The "fire horse" arrived first time in Hämeenlinna 150 years ago|work=Yle Häme|publisher=[[Yle]]|date=January 31, 2012|access-date=March 17, 2022|language=fi}}</ref> and today it forms part of the [[Finnish Main Line]] (''päärata''), which is more than 800 kilometers long. Nowadays, passenger trains are operated by the state-owned [[VR (company)|VR]]. They serve all the major cities and many rural areas, complemented by bus connections where needed. Most passenger train services originate or terminate at [[Helsinki Central railway station]], and a large proportion of the passenger rail network radiates out of Helsinki. High-speed [[VR Class Sm3|Pendolino]] services are operated from Helsinki to other major cities like [[Jyväskylä]], [[Joensuu]], [[Kuopio]], [[Oulu]], [[Tampere]] and [[Turku]].  Modern [[InterCity#Finland|InterCity]] services complement the Pendolino network, and cheaper and older long and short-distance trains operate in areas with fewer passengers.

The Helsinki area has three [[urban rail]] systems: a [[Helsinki tram|tramway]], a [[Helsinki Metro|metro]], and a [[Helsinki commuter rail|commuter rail system]]. [[Light rail]] systems are currently being planned for [[Helsinki]] and also for [[Turku]] and [[Tampere]], two of the country's other major urban centres.

===Metro===
[[File:M300 (316) lähestyy Mellunmäkeä (10).jpg|thumb|[[HKL Class M300]]  use on the [[Helsinki Metro]]]]
The [[Helsinki metro]] is a 43-kilometer broad-gauge metro system that connects the center of Helsinki with the eastern districts and the western [[Espoo]]. The capital region has the northernmost metro system in the world and the only one in Finland. The Helsinki metro was opened on August 2, 1982, initially between [[Rautatientori]] and [[Itäkeskus]]. On November 18, 2017, [[Länsimetro]] extended the metro lines from the inner city to the west, via [[Lauttasaari]] to [[Tapiola]] and [[Matinkylä]], and on December 3, 2022, all the way to [[Kivenlahti]].

===High-speed rail===
{{Main|High-speed rail in Finland}}

There are plans to link Helsinki to Turku and Tampere by high-speed lines resulting in journey times of an hour between the capital and the two cities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/16167-finland-earmarks-funds-for-new-rail-links-between-helsinki-turku-and-tampere.html|title=Finland earmarks funds for new rail links between Helsinki, Turku and Tampere|website=Helsinki Times|date=4 February 2019}}</ref> A link to [[Kouvola]] is also planned. The estimated cost of these lines is €10 billion.

=== Trams and light rail ===
{{main|Trams in Finland}}
In Finland there have been two cities with trams: [[Helsinki]] and [[Tampere]]. Of the older systems only Helsinki has retained [[Trams in Helsinki|its tramway network]]. The [[Trams in Vyborg|trams in Viipuri]], having been lost to [[Soviet Union]] in 1945, ceased operations in 1957, while the [[trams in Turku|Turku tramway network]] shut down in 1972.

In November 2016, [[Tampere]] city council approved the construction of a new [[Tampere light rail|light rail system]]. Construction of phase 1 begun late 2016 and finished in 2021. Tampere trams are already operating but the official opening date is 9 August 2021. Turku also has preliminary plans for new tram system, but no decision to build it has been made.

Helsinki currently operates 10 tramlines on a network of approximately {{convert|90|km}} of track in passenger service.  The trams have annually 57 million passengers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hel.fi/www/hkl/en/by-tram/ |title=By tram |publisher=Helsinki |access-date=15 January 2017 |archive-date=9 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170309052748/http://www.hel.fi/www/hkl/en/by-tram/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raitio.org/ratikat/helsinki/radat/radat.htm |title=Helsinki, tram track network |publisher=Raitio.org |access-date=15 January 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224084703/http://www.raitio.org/ratikat/helsinki/radat/radat.htm |archive-date=24 February 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

<gallery>
Image:Artic (tram) in Helsinki.jpg|New [[Škoda Artic]] tram in Helsinki
ForCity Smart Artic X54 in Helsinki city centre, 2021 November.jpg|New[[Helsinki light rail line 15|The Artic XL]] tram in Helsinki
Raitiovaunu Hämeenkadulla.jpg|New [[Škoda Artic]] tram in Tampere
Kakola Funicular 3.jpg|[[Funicular]] in Turku
</gallery>

== Air transport ==
[[File:OH-LZF A321 Finnair ARN 01.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Finnair [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320]]]]
There are 148 airfields, 74 of which have paved runways.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/finland/ CIA Factbook Finland] CIA</ref> 21 airports are served by scheduled passenger flights. By far the largest airport is [[Helsinki-Vantaa Airport]], and the second largest by passenger volume is [[Oulu Airport]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dxww91gv4d0rs.cloudfront.net/file/dl/i/qRV3kQ/4p96PDpGn_3VWybmiqn30w/Matkustajatlentoasemittainsuo-fi1216.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601152702/http://dxww91gv4d0rs.cloudfront.net/file/dl/i/qRV3kQ/4p96PDpGn_3VWybmiqn30w/Matkustajatlentoasemittainsuo-fi1216.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 June 2022 |title=Matkustajat 2016 |publisher=Finavia |access-date=15 January 2017 }}</ref> The larger airports are managed by the state-owned [[Finavia]] (formerly the Finnish Civil Aviation Administration). [[Finnair]], [[Nordic Regional Airlines]] and [[Norwegian Air Shuttle]] are the main carriers for domestic flights.

Helsinki-Vantaa airport is Finland's global gateway with scheduled non-stop flights to such places as [[Bangkok]], Beijing, [[Guangzhou]], [[Nagoya]], [[New York City|New York]], [[Osaka]], Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Helsinki has an optimal location for [[great circle]] airline traffic routes between Western Europe and the Far East.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.finavia.fi/fi/tiedottaminen/ajankohtaista/2017/helsinki-ja-lappi-vetivat-finavian-lentoasemaverkoston-uuteen-matkustajaennatykseen/ |title=Helsinki ja Lappi vetivät Finavian lentoasemaverkoston uuteen matkustajaennätykseen |publisher=Finavia |access-date=15 January 2017 |language=fi }}</ref> The airport is located approximately 19 kilometers north of Helsinki's downtown in the city of [[Vantaa]], thus the name Helsinki-Vantaa.

Other airports with regular scheduled international connections are [[Kokkola-Pietarsaari Airport]], [[Mariehamn Airport]], [[Tampere-Pirkkala Airport]], [[Turku Airport]] and [[Vaasa Airport]].

== Water transport ==
[[File:2017-03-23 Sampo in Port of Kemi (Finland) 02.jpg|thumb|Icebreaker Sampo in Port of [[Kemi]]]]
[[File:Port of Rauma panorama.jpg|thumb|left|Port of [[Rauma, Finland|Rauma]]]]
[[File:Port of Hamina.jpg|thumb|left|[[Port of Hamina-Kotka]]]]
[[Image:Viking XPRS 2008-04-29.jpg|thumb|right|[[Viking Line]] is one of several companies operating ferry service between [[Helsinki]] and [[Tallinn]].]]
The Finnish Maritime Administration is responsible for the maintenance of Finland's waterway network. Finland's waterways includes some {{convert|7600|km|mi}} of coastal fairways and {{convert|7900|km|mi}} of Finland waterways (on rivers, canals, and lakes). [[Saimaa Canal]] connects [[Lake Saimaa]], and thus much of the inland waterway system of Finland, with the [[Baltic Sea]] at [[Vyborg]] (Viipuri). However, the lower part of the canal is currently located in Russia. To facilitate through shipping, Finland leases the Russian section of the canal from Russia (the original agreement with the [[Soviet Union]] dates to 1963).<ref>[http://www.gosaimaa.com/en/About-area/Transportation/Transportation?id=b81cd4eb-23d4-4896-862e-9e223abdab4c Saimaa Canal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190213183814/https://www.gosaimaa.com/en/About-area/Transportation/Transportation?id=b81cd4eb-23d4-4896-862e-9e223abdab4c |date=13 February 2019 }} Go Saimaa</ref>

The largest general port is Port of Hamina-Kotka. [[Port of Helsinki]] is the busiest passenger harbour, and it also has significant cargo traffic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/65101/Kiiskinen_Lauri.pdf?sequence=1 |title=Security Threats of the Roro-ships in the Gulf of Finland |last=Kiiskinen |first=Lauri |date=2013 |publisher=Kymenlaakso polytechnic |access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> By cargo tons, the five busiest ports are Hamina-Kotka, Helsinki, Rauma, Kilpilahti and [[Port of Naantali|Naantali]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.liikennevirasto.fi/julkaisut/pdf8/lti_2016-04_ulkomaan_meriliikennetilasto_web.pdf |title=Statistics on International Shipping |date=2016 |website=Statistics from the Finnish Transport Agency |access-date=15 January 2017 |archive-date=12 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012035219/http://www2.liikennevirasto.fi/julkaisut/pdf8/lti_2016-04_ulkomaan_meriliikennetilasto_web.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Icebreaker]]s keep 23 ports open for traffic even in winter. The ports in [[Gulf of Bothnia]] need icebreakers in average six months a year, while in [[Gulf of Finland]] icebreakers are needed for three months a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ilmasto-opas.fi/en/ilmastonmuutos/vaikutukset/-/artikkeli/c3842cae-e78a-4d30-a538-73cafa8d165d/vesiliikenne.html |title=Climate change creates new prerequisites for shipping |website=Climate guide |access-date=15 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020125913/https://ilmasto-opas.fi/en/ilmastonmuutos/vaikutukset/-/artikkeli/c3842cae-e78a-4d30-a538-73cafa8d165d/vesiliikenne.html |archive-date=20 October 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Frequent ferry service connects Finland with [[Estonia]] and [[Sweden]]. [[Baltic Sea|Baltic]] [[cruise liners]] regularly call on the
port of Helsinki as well. In domestic service, ferries connect Finland's islands with the mainland. Finland's cargo ports
move freight both for Finland's own needs and for [[transshipment]] to Russia.

===Waterways and canals===
[[File:Joensuun kanava2.jpg|thumb|Timber floating on [[Joensuu]]]]
Finland's canals are primarily located in inland waters. The canals of the Finnish sea area are mostly made for small boating. In terms of water traffic, a significant reason for canalization has been floating operations. For water management, canals have been built especially for [[Log driving]] and hydropower projects. 

In order to lower and drain Lake Pohjalanjärvi, the depression of Rautajoki was deepened by canalization. The Finnish Waterways Association was founded in 1981 to promote the development of waterways and the construction of canals.

== See also ==
* [[Finnish models of public transport]]
* [[Plug-in electric vehicles in Finland]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Transport in Finland}}
* [http://www.vrgroup.fi/ VR] (The main site of the Finnish railway company)
* [http://matka.fi/haku/en/ Search engine for all public transit in Finland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505055251/http://www.matka.fi/haku/en/ |date=5 May 2008 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20021121050244/http://www.fma.fi/e/ Finnish Maritime Administration]
* [http://www.tiehallinto.fi/ Finnish Road Administration] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924084942/http://www.tiehallinto.fi/ |date=24 September 2011 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130608121717/http://www.findicator.fi/en/70 Transport statistics] at [[Findicator]]

{{Finland topics}}
{{Transportation in Europe}}

[[Category:Transport in Finland| ]]