The railroad connection between Nurmes and Kontiomäki was built in 1920's. It connected the most Eastern parts of the country, for instance, to North-West and its ports. Since 1990's, there's only been freight transportation on this very low traffic line.

The station of Maanselkä is located in the bush between towns of Valtimo and Sotkamo, nearest railway neighbors being Rumo and Saviaho. You could say it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Train dispatchers and cafeteria left the building already in 1970's, but the station may have had some tenants continuing occupying the building for some time after that. But for several years, the station has just stood silently by the deserted railway, just as the old locomotive water tower.

Unlike at most closed railway stations, the windows of the station have not been boarded. Maybe they understood vandalism wouldn't reach this kind of location anyway, and it hasn't - the place has still no broken windows, no graffiti, and it hasn't burned.