Raideliikenteenä

Raideliikenteenä is the essive form of raideliikenne (rail transport) in Finnish and means “as rail transport” or “in the capacity of rail transport.” The form is used to indicate that a person, object, project, or analysis should be treated or considered within the context of rail transport rather than another transport mode.

The term is commonly found in transport planning, regulation, and environmental assessments. In project descriptions or impact studies, effects such as emissions, capacity, and safety may be evaluated “raideliikenteenä” to distinguish them from roads, waterways, or air traffic. It is a standard label in official documents, tender specifications, and policy texts where mode-specific analysis is required.

Linguistically, raideliikenteenä signals a classification by transport mode. It may appear in phrases like hankkeen vaikutukset raideliikenteenä (the project’s effects as rail transport) or toteutettava raideliikenteenä (to be implemented as rail transport). The essive case (-na/-nä) expresses a temporary or contextual state—“as rail transport.” It is contrasted with other modes such as maantieliikenne (road traffic), vesiliikenne (water traffic), and lentoliikenne (air traffic).

In regulatory and policy contexts, designating rail as the assumed mode can influence funding, regulatory requirements, and environmental calculations. Rail transport is often highlighted for energy efficiency, capacity, and decarbonization potential, and designations as raideliikenteenä align with policy goals like shifting transport from road to rail.