In freight transport, the modal split describes the proportion of goods carried by different modes, road, rail, maritime and air. It is a snapshot of how a country moves goods and a key tool for shaping sustainable, efficient transport policies.
Finland’s modal split reflects its geography, industrial base and trade flows. With long domestic distances, a sparsely distributed population and heavy reliance on seaports, certain modes dominate while others play niche roles.
The Finnish Modal Split: Domestic Freight
According to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), domestic freight transport volumes have in recent years hovered around 300 million tonnes annually, with total transport performance between 29 and 37 billion tonne-kilometres.
The breakdown by mode is clear:
- Road transport accounts for roughly 90% of domestic tonnage and around 70% of tonne-kilometres.
- Rail transport holds a smaller share in tonnage (about 25% in tonne-kilometres terms), but is vital for bulk commodities like timber, minerals, and chemicals.
- Domestic maritime transport is minimal less than 1% of tonne-kilometres primarily short-sea shipping between Finnish ports.
- Air freight is statistically negligible in weight, but important for high-value, time-critical goods.
Over the last decade, road’s dominance has even slightly increased, driven by factors such as:
- The 2013 increase in maximum truck weight limits to 76 tonnes.
- Rationalisation of rail services towards large-volume block trains only.
- Decline in certain major rail freight flows.
International Freight: Maritime Dominance
Finland’s international freight volumes have ranged from 106 to 124 million tonnes over the last decade, with performance figures between 174 and 270 billion tonne-kilometres.
The modal split here is even more lopsided:
- Maritime transport carries over 90% of the tonnage and close to 100% of tonne-kilometres, reflecting Finland’s reliance on seaborne trade for imports and exports.
- Rail freight plays a modest role, historically above 10% of tonnage but now closer to 7% following a sharp decline in Russian rail traffic after 2022.
- Road freight contributes mainly in cross-border trade with Sweden and Norway.
- Air freight remains a small but strategic mode for time-sensitive exports, such as electronics and pharmaceuticals.
Why Modal Split Matters
Tracking modal split is more than an academic exercise — it has real-world implications:
- Sustainability – Road freight produces more greenhouse gas emissions per tonne-kilometre than rail or sea. Modal shift is a cornerstone of EU and Finnish climate strategies.
- Resilience – Overreliance on a single mode can expose the system to disruptions from fuel price shocks, strikes, or infrastructure failures.
- Infrastructure planning – Accurate modal split data supports targeted investment in rail electrification, intermodal terminals and port capacity.
Trends and Policy Directions
EU policy, including the Green Deal and TEN-T framework, aims to shift more freight to rail and waterborne modes. For Finland, this means:
- Expanding intermodal solutions connecting ports, rail hubs, and industrial areas.
- Investing in cross-border rail infrastructure with Sweden and potential Arctic connections.
- Leveraging digital platforms to optimise mode selection based on cost, speed and emissions.
While road freight will remain central for domestic transport, targeted investments and incentives could help rail and intermodal solutions capture a greater share, particularly for long-haul bulk and containerised freight.
Why This Matters in the LOBRA Context
For the LOBRA project, understanding Finland’s modal split ensures transport corridor models are grounded in reality.
- Road’s dominance in domestic flows highlights the need to assess road capacity and maintenance in corridor planning.
- Rail’s niche but strategic role in bulk freight points to opportunities for greener intermodal solutions.
- Maritime’s overwhelming share in international trade underscores the critical role of port connectivity and efficiency.
Integrating modal split data into LOBRA’s digital planning tools will allow stakeholders to model scenarios that are efficient, resilient and aligned with Finland’s sustainability targets.
Source: Liikenne- ja viestintävirasto Traficom – Tavaraliikenne Suomessa
Project number: 404191