Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) says that the planned expansion of the rail line to Turku will happen in stages, with the current government planning to start the less costly sections at either end of the line, rather than the middle section between Salo and Lohja.
"Our government is not doing the whole thing and spending billions," said Orpo in an Yle interview. "We will construct the Espoo-Lohja twin track and a short section from Turku. The whole line, that is the expensive shortcut, is for future governments [to pay for]."
The project has been criticised for its cost this summer, especially after it was denied EU funding. The firm pushing the project forward said that it would apply again in a couple of years, and believed it would have a better chance then.
Orpo said that his government's infrastructure programme includes multiple line items covering different parts of the country.
"We are spending 400 million euros in the budget for the so-called 'West Railway'," said Orpo. "500-600 million for improvements to the main line [north through Tampere], and hundreds of millions on eastern connections, including repairs to highway 5."
The west coast line project is now subject to negotiations after the summer between the municipalities along the route and the government, to decide on funding.
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