Reindeer slow railway traffic

An unusual delay made front-page news last week in Finland’s local and national newspapers, as travellers through northern Finland saw their express train slowed to a crawl by a large reindeer herd.

The “red-eye” express train en route to Helsinki was on the first leg of its trip when reindeer came on to the tracks. According to traffic controllers, the train crept slowly behind the reindeer for 20 kilometers before the last of the animals moved off the tracks. The train arrived in Rovaniemi at about midnight, two and a half hours behind schedule.

Passengers said train personnel tried to contact local reindeer herders for help, but without success. At times the train slowed down to a walking speed.

Reindeer often wander on to the railway tracks during snowy winters. The animals are drawn to the train tracks because it’s easier to walk along the tracks than through the deep snow.