Joulupukin juna Oy
Background
The whole operation is based on Seppo Lankinen, One of the founders of the Kemi snow castle, the idea of a Santa Claus train in Lapland, which would operate in the region during the high season and make it an increasingly interesting place for international customers to visit. This Santa's Express was a strong vision and background until Seppo met Markku. Markku Seppälä is the developer of both Tornio and Kemi railway stations and together these two enterprising and imaginative men developed the idea of developing Tornio station into a Santa Claus station with lots of activities and a departure point for Santa's Express.
Years passed and the summer of 2022 arrived. Seppo Lankinen was looking for a new wind in the sails of the concept and visited a tour operator/travel agent's Irina Louste in Kemi. Irina introduced Sepo To Minna Miettunen, a concept developer and a sales specialist. At the same time, long-standing tourism professionals joined the team Päivi Koskela and Oskar van Ieperen. The Santa Claus train company was born and six multi-sector entrepreneurs started working on a pilot for Christmas 2022 in the region.
Pilot in Christmas 2022
Joulupukin juna Oy found an operating partner Höyryveturimatkat 1009 oy from Kouvola, which has a unique Ukko-Pekka, locomotive Hr1 1009. This large and rugged locomotive arrived in Sea Lapland at the beginning of December with 6 wagons. The aim of the pilot was to understand the demand and what kind of product could sell. The demand took the operators by surprise and the train practically sold out in a few days. The object of the sale was a Christmas steam train trip to Pello.
Overall, the pilot exceeded the news threshold both nationally and on both sides of the border and was the hottest topic on social media for a week. It further reinforced the idea that some form of action in the region should continue.
The Future
Joulupukin juna Oy's goal is to create unique, year-round experiential train journeys from Sea Lapland across the whole of Lapland and the Oulu region.
Our trips will be operated with both diesel and steam locomotives. In addition to our Christmas journeys, we offer story-driven summer and autumn experiences in the Western Lapland under the name Wild West Lapland, a culinary journey from Oulu called Taste of Lapland, the winter-time Aurora Line to Aavasaksa, and our flagship year-round product in Sea Lapland: Industrial Northstar, operated with a steam train.
A key part of our strategy is close cooperation with Haparanda, as Sweden and the Haparanda station are extremely important to our company. Sustainable travel trends are expected to strengthen over the next decade, and thanks to the TEN-T network and upcoming railway electrification, Haparanda and Tornio will become a gateway from Europe to Lapland tourism.
Western Lapland from Tornio to Kolari, as well as Rovaniemi and Oulu, are also central to our operations.
Our operating brand , under the brand Lapland Spirit Rail. will begin operations for Christmas 2026.
Welcome to follow our journey!
Photo from the pilot trip to Pello at Christmas 2022