This study aims to examine the role of participation and the recognition of the traditional Sami livelihood of reindeer husbandry in the planning for localization of the new railway station in Kiruna and to answer the questions: 1) How and with what implications is the national interest of Sami reindeer husbandry recognized in the planning process for the localization of the new railway station in Kiruna? 2) How does participation operate to include or exclude the Sami villages and to what extent is it recognized in the planning process by government stakeholders? This study falls within the field of human geography and incorporates a theory of political ecology, with focus on the concepts of contact zones and participation, to analyze the findings of the study. A method of online semi-structured interviews in combination with a document content analysis has been used. The study concludes that there is a greater need to use a political ecology lens in the planning of mega-projects, particularly in Sweden where there is a need to recognize how past actions of repression and exclusion of the Sami shapes the present. Furthermore, the study addresses the discrepancy between participation and the acknowledgement of interests in planning processes.