Rail traffic prohibited between Seinäjoki and Kaskinen due to Kyrönjoki bridge deterioration

Starting from Saturday, September 14, rail traffic between Seinäjoki and Kaskinen on the Suupohja railway line will be prohibited due to safety concerns. The decision stems from the severely deteriorated condition of the Kyrönjoki bridge. An inspection conducted on Monday revealed that the bridge is extensively rusted, according to a statement from the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (Väylävirasto).

Critical structural components of the bridge show significant corrosion beneath the rails, which has compromised the strength of the steel. Repairing the bridge is not feasible; instead, a new bridge will need to be constructed.

Over the years, the condition of the 113-kilometer Suupohja line—which includes 35 rail bridges—has been monitored closely. Of these bridges, 26 are reported to be in extremely poor condition, with several significant deficiencies, the most critical being inadequate load capacity.

Väylävirasto has been tracking the rapid deterioration of the bridges and has implemented weight and speed restrictions to enhance safety. The speed limit at the Kyrönjoki bridge, as well as other critical bridges, is currently set at 20 kilometers per hour. However, even lowering the speed further would not guarantee safe operations.

In the government’s budget proposal for next year, there is an allocation of 15 million euros for the repair of the Suupohja line, along with one million euros designated for planning and partial implementation of the project. On average, between two and four freight trains travel daily along the Seinäjoki–Teuva segment.