The ‘so-called’ one-hour train: Media discourses and governance of the Helsinki–Turku Rail Project

Large-scale infrastructure projects (LIPs) are often framed as iconic national achievements, yet they frequently involve cost overruns and contested regional impacts. This study examines media coverage of the Helsinki–Turku (One-Hour Train) project to explore how legitimacy is constructed in multi-level regional governance. Drawing on post-Actor-Network Theory media scholarship, framing, and agenda-setting perspectives, the analysis treats media not as passive observers but as co-producers of legitimacy, shaping public perception and influencing governance decisions. Empirical findings reveal that coverage selectively amplifies political priorities, obscures alternative regional strategies, and stabilizes project narratives while marginalizing local concerns. Theoretically, the study contributes to understanding LIPs as socially and materially mediated phenomena, highlighting the role of media infrastructures in producing legitimacy across scales. Practically, the findings emphasise the need for transparent, regionally sensitive communication and strengthened parliamentary oversight to balance symbolic ambition with equitable and cost-effective governance. The study also shows how media discourses shape public accountability and the political geography of infrastructure decisions. • Examines how Finnish media discourses shape legitimacy and governance of large infrastructure projects (LIPs). • Reveals how the Helsinki–Turku rail debate exposes fragmentation between local, national, and European planning scales. • Shows that infrastructural decision-making in Finland reflects symbolic aspirations as much as strategic value. • Argues that media act as active agents in constructing regional development narratives, not neutral observers. • Calls for a coherent national interregional vision to promote equitable and balanced regional growth.